With Dirk Nowitzki planning to return for the 2018-19 season, the Mavericks could look to add a starting big man in free agency, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. O’Connor writes that “multiple league sources” expect Dallas to pursue DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins and Julius Randle. There have also been rumblings that the Dallas front office […]

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says the Supreme Court’s ruling on sports gambling increased the valuations of major American sports teams by “at least” double. In an interview with CNBC, Cuban added that the ruling “benefits everybody, even tangentially associated with sports.” “I think everybody who owns top-four professional sports team just basically saw the value […]

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle quickly shot down rumors that he’s interested in the Bucks head coaching vacancy, via Marc Stein of the New York Times: Rick Carlisle just issued the following statement: “Rumors that I have interest in the Milwaukee Bucks’ job are completely inaccurate. I work for Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.” — […]

Earlier this week, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times said the following on 105.7 FM The Fan in Milwaukee:

.@GeryWoelfel – “The hottest name that nobody has talked about is Rick Carlisle…The word going around is that he is interested in the #Bucks job and if that’s true it would be a no-brainer. As far as front-runners though, I’m hearing Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams.”

Seven years ago, Dwane Casey was an assistant in Dallas and helped devise a defense that shut down LeBron James in the NBA Finals, something King James attributes to him not yet being a “complete basketball player.”

“I wasn’t that good of a player in that series,” James said following the Cavs’ 128-110 Game 2 win in Toronto.

“I wasn’t a complete basketball player. Dwane Casey drew up a game plan against me in that ’11 series I played Dallas to take away things I was very good at and try to make me do things I wasn’t very good at.”

LeBron has amassed 69 points, 27 assists and 19 boards in Cleveland’s two wins against the top-seeded Raptors.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/slam-tv/lebron-james-wasnt-complete-basketball-player-2011-nba-finals/feed/02011 Getty ImagesMIAMI, FL - JUNE 12: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat stands for the performance of the National Anthem against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Six of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 12, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Dirk Nowitzki to Return for 21st NBA Seasonhttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/dirk-nowitzki-return-21st-nba-season/
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“That’s the plan,” he said as he sat with a calf-high walking boot on his left foot. “That’s why I went ahead and got the surgery, get the rehab process started early. I’m planning on coming back. I didn’t miss a lot of games this year.

“I said all year that I want to fulfill that two-year contract if possible. I saw nothing this year that was going to stop it. So we’ll see how the rehab goes the next few weeks and how the ankle responds, but obviously I’m going to work toward another season.”

But after 20 seasons, Dirk understands that while he wants to usher this franchise into its new era on something of a positive note, there are no guarantees.

“It’s kind of hard to sit here now after 24 wins and say we’re going to have 70 wins next year,” Nowitzki said with a laugh. “It might be a possibility we’re sitting here again next year with 24 wins, which I’m obviously not hoping, but in your mind it’s always a possibility. We’re hoping to get some good players in the draft and good players in free agency and move this thing along in the right direction.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/dirk-nowitzki-return-21st-nba-season/feed/02018 Jason MillerCLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 1: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks watches from the bench during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on April 1, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Mavericks 98-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)Report: Dirk Nowitzki Undergoes ‘Relatively Minor’ Surgery On Left Anklehttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-dirk-undergoes-relatively-minor-surgery-left-ankle/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-dirk-undergoes-relatively-minor-surgery-left-ankle/#respondThu, 05 Apr 2018 14:58:53 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=489316

Dirk Nowitzki underwent “relatively minor” surgery on his left ankle Thursday morning, according to ESPN‘s Tim MacMahon. The procedure is not expected to impact his decision on whether to return next season: Sources: Dirk Nowitzki underwent surgery on his left ankle this morning and will miss the rest of the season. The surgery is considered […]

Dirk Nowitzki underwent “relatively minor” surgery on his left ankle Thursday morning, according to ESPN‘s Tim MacMahon. The procedure is not expected to impact his decision on whether to return next season:

Sources: Dirk Nowitzki underwent surgery on his left ankle this morning and will miss the rest of the season. The surgery is considered relatively minor and is not expected to affect his decision on whether to return for a 21st season.

A former American Airlines Center employee filed a petition Thursday seeking information from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about an alleged incident involving a hangman’s noose. In a legal declaration reported by Dallas Morning News‘ Eddie Sefko, an arena employee claims he found a noose near Cuban’s suite in 2011. Cuban then allegedly took possession of it […]

A former American Airlines Center employee filed a petition Thursday seeking information from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about an alleged incident involving a hangman’s noose.

In a legal declaration reported by Dallas Morning News‘ Eddie Sefko, an arena employee claims he found a noose near Cuban’s suite in 2011. Cuban then allegedly took possession of it and disposed of it.

“Cuban offered no apology, sympathy or offer to investigate,” the employee said.

The incident is alleged to have happened Feb. 22, 2011, the day before a Mavericks home game. Cuban was almost always at the arena on game days that season but not necessarily on other days.

“Nate Rutkowski (a white male), who was working with the broadcast crew, put a hangman’s noose in a private and dedicated ‘IT closet’ right across from Cuban’s bunker suite on the event level of the AAC,” the declaration from the anonymous employee says.

“I witnessed the hangman’s noose and took a photo of it with my mobile phone. I alerted various executives of the Dallas Mavericks and AOC, with Cuban eventually seeing the noose. Cuban’s actions indicated for me to not make a big deal of it. Cuban then personally removed the hangman’s noose and threw it in the trash.

“Cuban offered no apology, sympathy or offer to investigate.

“The next day a cleaning crew was sent into the IT closet to clean it out, remove graffiti, and sanitize it. This was not a common occurrence.

“As an African-American male, I took the hangman’s noose as a threat of violence against African-Americans. Nate Rutkowski eventually admitted to handling the noose.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/arena-employee-claims-mark-cuban-disposed-hangmans-noose/feed/02018 Getty ImagesCHICAGO, IL - MARCH 02: Dallas Mavericks
owner Mark Cuban yells encouragement to his team from behind the bench during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on March 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 108-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)Dirk Nowitzki: ‘I’m Planning To Come Back’https://www.slamonline.com/nba/dirk-nowitzki-planning-come-back-mavericks/
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Dirk Nowitzki says that his plan “as of now” is to return to the Dallas Mavericks for his 21st season in the fall. In a newsletter by the NYT‘s Marc Stein, Nowitzki said that he’s “feeling great” and wants to complete his two-year contract signed last June. Here’s Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) on his plans for […]

In a newsletter by the NYT‘s Marc Stein, Nowitzki said that he’s “feeling great” and wants to complete his two-year contract signed last June.

Here’s Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) on his plans for next season — which would be No. 21 in a row with the Dallas Mavericks — as covered in the latest @nytimes NBA newsletter that went out this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/6x7rE52raP

Former Mavericks employee Melissa Weishaupt is speaking out against Mark Cuban and the Mavs’ “hostile workplace culture.” In an article published by Yahoo, Weishaupt wrote that Cuban and the Mavericks still don’t get it. My story: Melissa Weishaupt goes on the record about the Mavericks’ culture of harassment https://t.co/Goj57FtFyW pic.twitter.com/RLksein39P — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March […]

I’m using my name because I’m still not sure the Mavericks get it. Since the story broke, owner Mark Cuban has repeatedly claimed he oversaw only the basketball side of that franchise, not the business side.

Sorry. It doesn’t work that way. You own 100% of the team, Mark. The buck stops with you. When I worked on the Mavs’ business side, all marketing, promotional and broadcasting decisions went through you. Nothing was decided without your approval.

I am using my name because I am convinced that Cuban still doesn’t recognize the culture he’s helped create or the plight of the women who still work for him.

Mavericks wing Wesley Matthews will likely miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his right leg. According to Yahoo’s Shams Charania, the 31-year-old will treat the injury with rest and rehab. Sources: Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews has suffered a stress fracture in his right leg and will likely miss remainder […]

Mavericks wing Wesley Matthews will likely miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his right leg.

According to Yahoo’s Shams Charania, the 31-year-old will treat the injury with rest and rehab.

Sources: Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews has suffered a stress fracture in his right leg and will likely miss remainder of the season. Matthews underwent further testing today and will rest and rehab the injury.

The woman told police she encountered Cuban in late April at the Barrel Room, at 105 NW 3rd Ave., and asked him to pose with her for a photograph. While they smiled for the camera, she claimed, he thrust his hand down the back of her jeans and penetrated her vagina with his finger.

“I filed the report because what he did was wrong,” she adds. “I stand behind that report 1,000 percent.”

“These allegations are thoroughly investigated by the Multnomah County District’s Attorney’s Office and the Portland Police Bureau,” Houze said in a statement. “According to the detailed prosecution decline memo, investigators interviewed the complainant’s boyfriend and female friend, as well as employees and patrons of the bar, and other persons with Mr. Cuban and no one observed any inappropriate behavior by Mr. Cuban. This incident never happened and her accusations are false.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/mark-cuban-accused-sexual-assault-2011/feed/02011 Lisa BlumenfeldLOS ANGELES - MARCH 31: Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on March 31, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)Mavericks Get Technical For Having Only Four Players On Courthttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/mavericks-technical-four-players-court/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/mavericks-technical-four-players-court/#respondSat, 03 Mar 2018 03:08:29 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=482807

Here’s a T you don’t see often. It doesn’t take a sharp basketball mind to notice something is off here about the Mavericks defensively. Like, that they only have four players on the court. Credit them for not giving up a basket though, I guess? Elite tanking. Mavs only had 4 guys on the floor […]

It doesn’t take a sharp basketball mind to notice something is off here about the Mavericks defensively. Like, that they only have four players on the court. Credit them for not giving up a basket though, I guess?

Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki thinks that tanking sets “the wrong tone” for a rebuilding franchise. Following Dallas’ 109-103 win over the Pacers on Monday, Nowitzki said that it’s important for the young players to learn how to compete. “You don’t really want a culture here that’s just giving up and quitting and not playing […]

“There are entire analytics departments that are established out there to find the best five players you can get out on the court in any situation,” Windhorst said. “And the coaches are given reams of data about this to help them prepare. And what NBA executives have detailed to me is that there is some inverse analytics going on where coaches are potentially being given data on what lineups to play that may not be successful.”

“And we’re certainly seeing that with the Dallas Mavericks. It’s being hidden under the guise of ‘player development,’ which is another way of saying we’re gonna put our young, less good players out there as opposed to our better older players, and that is more active tanking than we’ve seen before.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/report-tanking-nba-teams-using-inverse-analytics/feed/02017 Sam WassonLAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 09: A general view of the court shows the NBA logo during a game between the Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2017 NBA Summer League at the Cox Pavilion on July 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NBA unveiled a refreshed logo during the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League. A modified version of Action font, customized for the league, will be used for the letters N-B-A in the primary logo. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)NBA Creating Confidential Hotline for Improper Workplace Conducthttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nba-creating-confidential-hotline-improper-conduct/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nba-creating-confidential-hotline-improper-conduct/#respondFri, 23 Feb 2018 11:55:56 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=481075

In light of the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing the Dallas Mavericks’ organization, the NBA sent out a letter announcing the launch of a confidential hotline for team and League employees to report improper conduct in the workplace.

The hotline will be in place next week, according to the memo.

ESPN story on NBA commissioner Adam Silver letter to teams, including a new confidential hotline for team and league employees to report improper conduct in workplace. https://t.co/yPTFBopwKf

In the aftermath of allegations of harassment and violence toward female employees in the Dallas Mavericks organization, the NBA is instituting a confidential hotline for team and league employees to register concerns of improper conduct, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.

The rest of the memo outlined existing initiatives within the NBA on issues surrounding the league’s “Respect in the Workplace Policy,” including the NBA’s plan to “conduct a series of mandatory, small-group discussions facilitated by outside experts to ensure that we all have a full understanding of issues related to sexual harassment and expectations for how we should behave in the workplace.”

A Sports Illustrated report described a Mavericks culture of misogyny and predatory sexual behavior that spanned decades in the organization, including numerous allegations against former CEO and president Terdema Ussery.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nba-creating-confidential-hotline-improper-conduct/feed/02018 NBAEMINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 10: A generic basketball photo the NBA logo on seats in the arena before the Oklahoma City Thunder game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 10, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)Dirk Nowitzki ‘Disgusted’ By Mavs Sexual Harrassment Scandalhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-disgusted-mavs-sexual-harrassment-scandal/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-disgusted-mavs-sexual-harrassment-scandal/#respondThu, 22 Feb 2018 12:25:41 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=480852

“I was shocked by some of the stuff. Just really really disappointed that in our franchise – my franchise – that stuff like that was going on. It’s just very sad.”

Carlisle spoke from a position of fatherhood as much as a coach.

“I’m grateful we live in a place and time where people have the courage to speak up about things like this,” he said. “I also have a 13-year-old daughter (Abby) and I want her to know that it’s both brave and safe to speak out. And that’s very important to me and it should be important to everybody.

“When it comes to anything involving the Mavericks, Mark Cuban is a strong believer in extreme ownership, extreme accountability. And he’s highly motivated to get this resolved in an expeditious, but thorough manner. No steps will be skipped. Things happen for a reason. Any problem or crisis presents an opportunity and this is an opportunity for us to get something fixed.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-disgusted-mavs-sexual-harrassment-scandal/feed/02018 Getty ImagesPHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 31: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks stands on the court during a time-out from the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 31, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Mark Cuban Fined $600K for Tanking Commentshttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-fined-60k-tanking-comments/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-fined-60k-tanking-comments/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 21:10:10 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=480784

“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but, like, I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night, and here we are, you know, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option,'” Cuban said on the podcast.

“Adam [Silver] would hate hearing that, but I at least sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans were going to be this summer, that we’re not going to tank again. This was, like, a year-and-a-half tanking, and that was too brutal for me. But being transparent, I think that’s the key to being kind of a players owner and having stability.”

In May, Cuban said the Mavericks looked to lose as much as they could at the end of last season once the team was out of postseason contention. Dallas finished with the ninth-worst record in the NBA and didn’t improve its draft position through the lottery.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-fined-60k-tanking-comments/feed/02017 Getty ImagesATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 23: Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 23, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Report: Suns, Mavericks, Pacers Expected To Pursue Aaron Gordon This Offseasonhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/report-mavericks-pacers-suns-expected-go-aaron-gordon-offseason/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/report-mavericks-pacers-suns-expected-go-aaron-gordon-offseason/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 16:51:45 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=480702

Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, who is currently averaging career-highs in points (18.4) and rebounds (8.3), will hit restricted free agency this summer. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, the Mavericks, Pacers, and Suns are expected to pursue the 22-year-old Gordon: League sources told Sporting News this week that the Suns are expected […]

League sources told Sporting News this week that the Suns are expected to be suitors for Gordon, who starred at Arizona for one memorable season. Phoenix has ample cap room and a roster in need of more proven players. Another team with interest in Gordon, according to sources, would be the rebuilding Mavericks, who have been eager to find a budding star to fill in alongside Harrison Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr., softening the blow of Dirk Nowitzki’s retirement, which could come in just months.

The Pacers intend to investigate restricted free agents, too, hoping to add young talent to an improving roster. Still, if any team makes a formal offer, the Magic can match it.

The Magic test the market for Gordon around the trade deadline, but ended up not finding the right deal.

In a shocking investigation for Sports Illustrated, Jon Wertheim and Jessica Luther detail the hostile work environment of the Dallas Mavericks, revealing claims of sexual assault and domestic violence against members of the organization: Interviews with more than a dozen former and current Mavericks employees in different departments, conducted during a months-long SPORTS ILLUSTRATED investigation, paint […]

In a shocking investigation for Sports Illustrated, Jon Wertheim and Jessica Luther detail the hostile work environment of the Dallas Mavericks, revealing claims of sexual assault and domestic violence against members of the organization:

Interviews with more than a dozen former and current Mavericks employees in different departments, conducted during a months-long SPORTS ILLUSTRATED investigation, paint a picture of a corporate culture rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior: alleged public fondling by the team president; outright domestic assault by a high-profile member of the Mavs.com staff; unsupportive or even intimidating responses from superiors who heard complaints of inappropriate behavior from their employees; even an employee who openly watched pornography at his desk.

Employees characterize the office culture as a “real life Animal House” and an “open secret.” Many of the allegations were brought against former team president and CEO Terdema Ussery, who resigned in 2015:

One shared that Ussery had repeatedly propositioned her for sex, even offering to leave his marriage if the woman relented—an account the second woman confirmed to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED for this story. Another woman shared that Ussery’s inappropriate behavior was one of the reasons she was quitting her sales job after more than a decade.

Just before the story was published, the Mavericks released an official statement on their website, stating that they have begun “a thorough and independent investigation”:

The Mavericks organization takes these allegations extremely seriously. Yesterday we notified the league office and immediately hired outside counsel to conduct a thorough and independent investigation. The investigation will focus on the specific allegations related to this former employee, and will look more broadly at our company’s workplace practices and policies. In addition, an employee whose job was to receive and investigate such complaints and report them accurately and fully, has been suspended pending the conclusion of our investigation.

Owner Mark Cuban maintains that he had no knowledge of the “corrosive workplace culture,” telling SI that “this is all new to [him]” and that he only became aware of the situation once he heard about the story.

Cuban added that he is “embarrassed” and that the environment “needs to be fixed.” The head of HR Buddy Pittman has been fired since reports surfaced.

After two seasons of tanking in Dallas, Mark Cuban vows that the Mavericks will not intentionally lose games next season. While guesting on the “House Call with Dr. J” podcast, Cuban said that tanking has been “too brutal for me” (starting at 21:05): “I was like, Look, losing is our best option. Adam [Silver] would […]

Mavericks guard Seth Curry will have season-ending surgery on his left tibia, reports ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski: Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry will have season-ending surgery on his left tibia, league sources tell ESPN. Recovery process is expected to take 12-14 weeks, and Curry is expected to be fully recovered and on the court by the […]

Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry will have season-ending surgery on his left tibia, league sources tell ESPN. Recovery process is expected to take 12-14 weeks, and Curry is expected to be fully recovered and on the court by the start of July 1 free agency.

According to the NYT‘s Marc Stein, Dallas has made Matthews, 31, available prior to the February 8 trade deadline.

It would take a first-round pick to get him, because Dallas sees him as one of its culture-setters, but league sources say that the Mavs would part with Wes Matthews before the Feb. 8 trade deadline if they can get a first in return

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/john-wall-calls-jj-barea-little-midget/feed/02018 Getty Images&lt;&gt; at American Airlines Center on January 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.Rick Carlisle Blasts ESPN for LaVar Ball Coveragehttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/rick-carlisle-blasts-espn-lavar-ball-coverage/
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Walton, meanwhile, continues to brush off and make light of Ball’s criticism.

Luke Walton on why he subbed out Lonzo early, "His dad was talking sh–t so I took him out early." He waited a good two seconds before he smiled and made sure everyone knew he was kidding. https://t.co/rMHDMIyhJq

“As president of the NBA Coaches Association, I view the ESPN article as a disgrace,” Carlisle said. “Luke Walton is a terrific young coach bringing along a young team,” Carlisle said. “It’s a difficult task. If you don’t believe it, ask me. We’re going through that now and went through it last year.”

He went on to suggest ESPN, as a television partner of the NBA, had violated the trust of NBA coaches.

“ESPN is an NBA partner and they’ve been a great one. Part of that partnership is that, the coaches do a lot of things to help them with access, interviews and all those kinds of things. In exchange for that, they should back up the coaches,” Carlisle said.

“Printing an article where the father of an NBA player has an opinion that is printed that is anything like legitimate, erodes trust. Our coaches are upset. Luke Walton doesn’t deserve that.”

Challenged to clarify by ESPN’s Tim McMahon if Carlisle was suggesting that ESPN should run news based on what coaches will like, Carlisle said, “No. I’m saying they should look at their sources and do a better job of determining if their sources have any merit or any validity or are they just blowhard loud mouths. That’s not fair.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/rick-carlisle-blasts-espn-lavar-ball-coverage/feed/02017 Getty ImagesINDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 27: Rick Carlisle the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks gives instructions to his team against the Indiana Pacers during the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 27, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)Gregg Popovich: Kawhi Leonard ‘Wonderful’ in Season Debuthttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/gregg-popovich-kawhi-leonard-wonderful-season-debut/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/gregg-popovich-kawhi-leonard-wonderful-season-debut/#respondWed, 13 Dec 2017 11:55:01 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=469370

“I thought he was wonderful,” Popovich said. “He’s trying to get some rust off and that kind of thing. Obviously, he’s confident. He’s a heck of a player, and it was really frustrating for him to just start getting loose and have to come off the court.”

Leonard didn’t take his first shot until the 9:15 mark in the first quarter, and Popovich subbed him out of action with 7:14 left in the quarter for veteran Manu Ginobili.

“I’m just happy to be able to be out there, just to play the game and enjoy the things I missed — missing shots, losing games, making mistakes — just everything,” Leonard said. “I understand the situation that I’m in, and we’re thinking about down the road. I didn’t play 30-plus minutes tonight. So, I don’t know where my conditioning is. I felt good tonight playing my 16 minutes. So, we’ll see what happens down the road. Just being out there to enjoy the moment and the Dallas atmosphere with my team and compete was just great for me.”

Dennis Smith Jr injured his left hip on Wednesday night in the Mavs’ 97-90 loss to the Celtics. He experienced soreness the day after and then sat out of practice on Friday. He was reportedly in good spirits, however.

Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip strain) says he hopes to return sooner than Rick Carlisle’s two-game prediction: “I don’t know about two (games). I know one is mandatory. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”

“It’s not anything crazy,” Noel said. “It’s a pretty common injury for a basketball player. I’m just going to get it taken care of. I showed it to the trainers and they said, that it’s not right. They said I should probably get some surgery and get it fixed up now.

“I can play basketball with it. A couple guys in here have had it.”

Noel said he’ll come back with the same outlook that he’s tried to keep during the time when he’s essentially been the last man on the bench.

“I’m not really too worried,” he said. “I’m in a great place. I know I can step on the court at any time and change the game. I’m just going to keep working.”

Mavs center Nerlens Noel got caught up in a bizarre controversy over the weekend when he was seen in the media dining area grabbing a hot dog during halftime of the team’s blowout win over the Clippers.

“It was a different schedule,” Noel said. “The last thing I did not want to do is eat, so I just wanted to take in as many calories as I can. But I just got to be smarter about that and send a ballboy or something.”

Carlisle cracked a few jokes during his media availability and suggested Noel uses the situation as a marketing opportunity.

“So look, I’m representing him,” Carlisle said. “I’m going to talk to [Dallas area restaurant] Wild About Harry’s over on Knox [Street]. It’s a hot dog place. And we’re going to see if they’ll do ‘The Nerlens,’ which is relish only, right? Relish or nothing at all.”

So on Monday, James, in beginning to explain his Smith-Knicks opinion, said “I wasn’t throwing shade at Frank (Ntilikina) at all, for people that got their pants in a bunch, things of that nature in New York, look for any controversy here.”

And then he was asked about Jackson, the former Knicks executive James loathes because of disparaging comments he’s made about James’ inner circle of friends.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely a shot at him,” James said. “That’s for sure. … I wasn’t even thinking about the kid when I was talking about Dennis Smith. I was thinking about the Knicks organization, and Phil Jackson at the time, and Dennis Smith’s talent, and (Kristaps) Porzingis. That’s all I was thinking about.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-dissed-phil-jackson-not-frank-ntilikina/feed/02017 Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks tries to stop LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Knicks ‘Pissed’ at LeBron James’ Dennis Smith Jr Commentshttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/knicks-pissed-at-lebron-james-dennis-smith-jr-comments/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/knicks-pissed-at-lebron-james-dennis-smith-jr-comments/#respondMon, 13 Nov 2017 13:25:39 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=465192

“In life people can think whatever they want,” Ntilikina said after practice Sunday in Tarrytown. “However, it’s not gonna affect us and me so whatever is said, whatever people think, me and the team are just getting focused on what we’re doing every day to improve.”

As to why James made those comments, also simple. The Cavaliers play the Knicks at the Garden on Monday. James is admittedly close to Smith. James probably meant it more as a shot at ex-Knicks president Phil Jackson, who drafted Ntilikina. Jackson ruffled James last year when he used the term “posse” referring to the superstar’s friends and business circle.

“This is my rookie. This is my team. This is my organization. I cannot just let [James] disrespect [Ntilikina] like that,” [Enes] Kanter said. “Frank’s doing an unbelievable job. Every day he’s working really hard. It doesn’t matter if it’s LeBron or whoever it is, I cannot just let him disrespect him like that. The coaches, the GMs, the president, this organization knows what they’re doing. That’s why I was pissed he said that. Come on. That’s a rookie. You cannot just say anything like that about him. I know LeBron is a really good guy … but why Knicks? There were like [seven] ahead of them.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/knicks-pissed-at-lebron-james-dennis-smith-jr-comments/feed/02017 NBAEHOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 9: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Houston Rockets on November 9, 2017 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)LeBron James on Dennis Smith Jr: ‘He Should Be A Knick’https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/lebron-james-dennis-smith-jr-should-be-a-knick/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/lebron-james-dennis-smith-jr-should-be-a-knick/#respondSun, 12 Nov 2017 05:26:18 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=465033

Should the Mavericks start positioning for an optimal draft position, similar to late last season, when Cuban admitted they kinda, sorta tanked games?

“But not until we were eliminated,” Cuban reminded Tuesday night before his Mavericks, then 1-10, faced the Wizards in Washington D.C. “And until we’re eliminated, we ain’t tanking here, either.

“I still think we can turn this around,” he said. “We’ve been in 1-9 stretches during various parts of various seasons in the past, so it’s not like we haven’t been here before. It’s just that you never want to start the season like that.”

A Giannis–LeBron battle was about as awesome as you’d expect it to be, with Greek Freak posting a ridiculous 40-point, 9-rebound line on 16-of-21 shooting and LBJ dropping the casual 30/8/9 with just a single turnover. However, Kevin Love would prove to be the difference in this one, throwing it back to his Minnesota days with 32 points and 16 rebounds.

It probably wasn’t a good sign for the Bucks when Dwyane Wade swatted Giannis like this, sending the MVP candidate to the floor.

The Cavs really needed this one, especially after LeBron’s interesting tweet from last night after Kyrie and the Celtics won their 9th-straight. They still didn’t play much defense but forced Giannis to commit 8 turnovers and dominated at the free throw line, taking 22 more attempts than Milwaukee. Cleveland has time to figure it out, and this was a good first step.

Pelicans 117 (6-5), Pacers 112 (5-6)

Indiana scored 37 first quarter points en route to another huge offensive half, as the Pacers led 75-61 at the break. But, New Orleans clamped down after the break, holding them to just 37 points total in the final 24 minutes.

Anthony Davis (37 points, 14 rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (32 points, 13 points) continue to dominate undersized frontcourts. They also combined to have 10 assists. That’s the key for the Pelicans, since AD and DMC are such isolation-focused players in the halfcourt. When they get others involved, the entire team plays better. That’s something New Orleans struggled with after the trade last season but is starting to figure out now.

In the second year of the max contract he signed with Dallas before last season, Harrison Barnes is starting to develop into the leader the Mavericks envisioned him as. He (31 points, 9 rebounds) and stud rookie Dennis Smith Jr. (22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) led the way as the Mavs ended a 6-game losing streak.

As Dallas tries to plot a post-Dirk course, those guys will certainly be a part of the longterm solution. The question is who else will join them.

For the Wizards, their sluggish start to the year continues. John Wall (23 points, 14 assists) and Bradley Beal (23 points) played well but the bench didn’t do much, and that’s the unit which has held this team back for awhile now. They need Kelly Oubre, Mike Scott, Jason Smith and others to step up.

Raptors 119 (6-4), Bulls 114 (2-7)

Toronto looked like it was going to blow the doors off the Bulls with a dominant first half but Chicago, behind 20 points from Robin Lopez and a stellar return from Bobby Portis (21 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes), fought back to make this a game in the second half. The Bulls might not have a ton of talent — and they miss Zach LaVine a lot — yet they play hard almost every night.

The usual solid performances from the Raptors’ starting unit (scored 85 of Toronto’s 119 points) helped them fend off the Bulls. DeMar DeRozan (24 points) even drilled a pair of threes as he starts to slowly make the longball more of a factor in his offensive game.

Jonas Valanciunas (21 points, 10 rebounds) has been good in decreased playing time. The Raptors are deeper this season, especially in the frontcourt with Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poetl and Lucas Nogueira, so JV doesn’t have to play as much. So far, that seems to have helped him be more effective when he is on the floor.

Knicks 118 (6-4), Hornets 113 (5-6)

There just isn’t much else you can say about Kristaps Porzingis right now. From game-winning threes to three-block possessions, the dude has been unstoppable. Just a lowly 28-point showing on 10-of-15 shooting tonight for Latvian.

The W was the Knicks’ 6th victory in their last 7 games, and it was another that came after a huge fourth quarter comeback. New York outscored the Hornets 35-19 in the final frame to steal the game. Doug McDermott had a big 20 points off the bench while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 19. MSG was absolutely rocking as the Knicks closed out a 4-1 homestand.

Spurs 120 (7-4), Clippers 107 (5-5)

LaMarcus Aldridge (25 points) kept his tear through the Western Conference going as the Spurs improved to 5-1 at home. Danny Green (24 points on 15 shots) made four triples as San Antonio made over 53% of their shots from beyond the arc. It’s easy to forget, with how good this team is playing, that Kawhi has yet to make his season debut. That’s scary.

Another scary thing about this team is how good Rudy Gay has been. Gay, who hasn’t played in 80 games in a season since the 2009-10 campaign, was a bit of an afterthought this summer, enough of one that the Spurs were able to snag him on a two-year, $17 million deal. Now, he looks fully healthy and has been a dynamic scorer off the bench. He was a +13 in his 24 minutes, scoring 22 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

76ers 104 (6-4), Jazz 97 (5-6)

The Process is starting to prove itself. Even without Markelle Fultz, the 76ers show something every single game that makes you really think about incredible this team could be in the near-future…or even later in this season.

Tonight was Dario Saric (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Ben Simmons‘ (16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks) time to shine. I mean, look at those stats for Simmons, who’s playing the point for Philly. Just ridiculous. Take this steal and slam, for example.

Outside shooting is his next big area of improvement, but the fact that he’s able to be this impactful — on both ends of the court — without a reliable jumper is pretty impressive. Joel Embiid didn’t even play in this one and Philly was still able to hand the Jazz a loss at home, where Utah is always tough.

Nuggets 112 (6-5), Nuggets 104 (4-7)

It was a good night for stretch-five Eastern Europeans. Nikola Jokic (41 points, 12 rebounds) burned the Nets’ depleted frontcourt, especially Tyler Zeller, all game, from threes to crafty shots at the rim to putbacks. Brooklyn had no way of stopping him.

It would be hard enough to defend him just as a scorer, but he also has incredible vision out of the post and can bring the ball up with ease. There will be many more 40-point, 10-rebound games in his future.

Grizzlies 98 (7-4), Trail Blazers 97 (6-5)

The beat goes on for Memphis, which just keeps finding ways to win games however it can. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol combined for 36 points but, once again, Tyreke Evans (21 points, 5 assists) gave the Grizzlies the bench spark they needed. The former King and Pelican has been a revelation through the beginning of the season and — like Rudy Gay — looks rejuvenated.

C.J. McCollum’s 36-point outburst wasn’t enough for Portland, which had just 11 assists on 36 made field goals. Credit Memphis’ defense for stifling a lot of that ball movement.

Kings 94 (2-8), Thunder 86 (4-6)

It’s far from panic time for OKC, but it’s clear the adjustment period for Russ, PG and Melo to get on the same page is going to be much longer than a lot of people though. They were a collective 15-of-54 from the field, and Westbrook turned the ball over seven times. There isn’t reason to worry just yet. However, if the offensive issues don’t go away in a few weeks, then there would be cause for concern.

Sacramento needed a mix of the young and the old in this one, as Zach Randolph led the starters with 18 points and 8 rebounds while Buddy Hield dropped 21 and 7 off the bench (on 4-of-4 shooting from three). The rookies, De’Aaron Fox and Justin Jackson, chipped in 26 between the two for the Kings’ first home win of the year. Also, we got to see firsthand at just how athletic Fox is.

The Mavericks have had a rough go of it to start the season, losing 10 of their first 11 games with an aging roster. Two bright spots, though, have been No. 9 overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes. Both guys balled out for Rick Carlisle on Tuesday night in a 113-99 win over the Wizards, the Mavs’ first road win of the year. The W ended a six-game losing skid.

DSJ dropped a career-high 22 points with 8 rebounds and 8 assists while Barnes scored a season-high 31 on just 18 shots.

The young fella can fly. He has struggled with his shot a bit so far in the Association but his ups and playmaking ability — as a point guard — really sets him apart. In a deep class, he was somehow the 5th PG taken. Once he refines his game and cuts down on his turnovers, teams will wish they didn’t pass on him.

“For him to try to turn it into something it’s not is wrong,” Cuban told ESPN. “He owes the NBA an apology.

“I think he does, because to try to create some connotation that owning equity in a company that you busted your ass for is the equivalent of ownership in terms of people, that’s just wrong. That’s just wrong in every which way.

Cuban went on to say that he’d pay for Green to attend business classes at Indiana University (Green’s alma mater’s rival school).

“I guess it’s because he went to Michigan State and didn’t take any business classes, but you own equity. When you own a team, you own equity, shares of stock. That’s called ownership.

“Tell him if he wants to take classes at Indiana’s business school, I’ll even pay for his classes and we’ll help him learn that stuff.”

Given the opportunity to respond to Cuban on Saturday, Green just changed the subject.

“It caught me off guard,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s just having fun out there. The main thing he needs to understand is that that’s going to offend some people.”

That Bell was even on the floor for that learning moment was a testament to Golden State’s dominance. In the wake of a disappointing six-day stretch, the Warriors finally looked like the biggest championship favorite in NBA history as they avoided their worst start since they opened the 2009-10 season 1-3.

“Don’t let them make you feel guilty, JB,” Durant said. “Yeah!” [Draymond] Green chimed in. “All he did was dunk the ball and add a little flavor.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/mavs-angered-jordans-bell-off-backboard-dunk/feed/02017 NBAESHANGHAI, CHINA - OCTOBER 08: Jordan Bell #2 of the Golden State Warriors looks on before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of 2017 NBA Global Games China on October 8, 2017 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)Mark Cuban Offers Alternative Ideas For The NBA Draft Lotteryhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-wants-abolish-nba-draft/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-wants-abolish-nba-draft/#respondFri, 20 Oct 2017 14:25:04 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=462186

“The team with the worst record gets the most money and the team with the best record gets the least money,” Cuban said. “It’s like a free agency. It makes it a lot harder to tank because you don’t know if you get the best players if you’re horrible all the time. “Nobody liked that at all, not a single person.”

Cuban’s other idea was to lock the team with the worst record into a draft slot — either third or fourth — to force teams to compete to avoid being at the bottom. That idea never got discussed in the board of directors meeting.

“Now all of the sudden, if it’s close at the end, you’re going to see teams play as hard as they can because if they end up with the worst record, they don’t get the best pick,” Cuban said, explaining the logic of his idea.”You basically eliminate them from getting the best player. Everybody else would just be the way it is now.

“Adam didn’t like that. That never got to the board of directors, but that one was my favorite. I brought up [the other proposal], but after that one got shot down, I didn’t bring up the other one. When I got no response on the one, I just dropped the other because it was obvious that what they had proposed was going to pass.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-wants-abolish-nba-draft/feed/02016 Getty ImagesOAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 27: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the crowd at their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on January 27, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Mark Cuban ‘Seriously Considering’ Presidential Runhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-seriously-considering-presidential-run/
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Cuban said he’s an independent. “Maybe I run as an independent. I don’t know.”

“I’m for smaller government,” he said, adding that, “I think there is a healthcare solution.”

Cuban has been a frequent critic of President Trump, a fellow billionaire and TV star who had not served in elected office before winning the nation’s biggest job. Trump tweeted earlier this year that Cuban is “not smart enough to run for president!”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-seriously-considering-presidential-run/feed/02017 Getty ImagesATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 12: Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, stands during the National Anthem prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at McCamish Pavilion on October 12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Dennis Smith Jr on Mavs, Dirk, LeBron and ‘Call of Duty: WWII’https://www.slamonline.com/nba/dennis-smith-jr-interview-cod/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/dennis-smith-jr-interview-cod/#respondThu, 05 Oct 2017 14:36:17 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=460610

The Mavs rookie dishes on OG Dirk, his back and forth with LeBron and which rookie is nicest on the sticks.

Dennis Smith Jr prefers playing two-on-two. At least, that is, when it comes to Call of Duty. As far as hooping is concerned, the rookie out of NC State just prefers playing, period.

When Smith Jr isn’t working on refining his basketball skills, the explosive point guard can be found working on his second game of choice—Call of Duty. It is there, siting on his couch, in front of a big screen and Playstation, when Smith Jr de-stresses by hopping on the sticks with friends, foes, and even fellow rookies.

“Markelle was stinking it up,” laughs Smith Jr, good-naturedly.

Recently, SLAM spoke with the young Maverick about brotherhood, COD: WWII, Dirk and more.

SLAM: How have the first couple of days of training camp been for you?

DSJ: Good. I’m learning a lot from my teammates and the staff. It’s been good so far, but I know it’s a process.

SLAM: What’s it like playing with an OG like Dirk? He’s been in the League since you were in diapers.

DSJ: It’s great. That’s probably one of my favorite parts. I just like being around him, listening. I try to take in as much as I can.

SLAM: Rumor is Dirk is actually a smack talker and funny guy. True?

DSJ: He does, but it’s all in the spirit of the game. He’s been an elite player, so he can trash talk all day.

SLAM: Everyone knows by now that you have nice hops, but what about your game will surprise people?

DSJ: My overall floor game. Like, my ability to get people involved. I think I do a good job of that. I play with so many good players, so I think you’ll see that.

SLAM: Which rookie, on the court, are you most excited to go against?

DSJ: As a rookie? None of ’em. I look at them all the same. Once we’re on the court, I’m going to do my thing.

SLAM: I hear that. Well, in general who are you most looking forward to hooping against? You grew up watching a lot of guys you’ll see this year.

DSJ: On an opposing team, it’d have to be LeBron James. And I have a legend, Dirk, on my team.

SLAM: I saw you and LeBron had an exchange on social recently. What’s the best piece of advice he’s given you so far?

DSJ: He told me to remain myself. Always remain me, be me. He told me to always be myself.

SLAM: I heard a rumor that you got to see an early preview of the upcoming Call of Duty: WWII.

Dennis Smith Jr: It was dope.

SLAM: Are you a long-time COD gamer or did you get into it more recently?

DSJ: I’ve been playing for a minute…

SLAM: Do you prefer playing alone or do you like getting online?

DSJ: I like playing with other people. A lot of times, we’ll play two-on-two. Sometimes, we even bet on it a little bit.

SLAM: Since you like playing online, could fans guess your gamer tag?

DSJ: Nah, it’s something random.

SLAM: Is that a special one just for COD?

DSJ: [Laughs] It’s for all of my games online.

SLAM: By the same token, do you have a nickname you go by on the court?

DSJ: On the court? Nothing in particular, outside of DSJ, which is perfectly fine with me.

SLAM: One of the themes of this year’s game is brotherhood. It’s about playing as a team and being a band of brothers. I feel like that applies to hoops, too.

DSJ: Definitely. You got one job in the game—earn the respect of the people you go to war with—and basketball is the same thing.

SLAM: So, are you the best player—the best COD player, that is—on the Mavericks?

DSJ: On the team? Yeah, for sure, though I haven’t played with a lot of guys yet.

SLAM: Off top, do you feel like you’re the best rookie at COD too?

DSJ: Shoot, I haven’t played with a lot of guys, but Markelle was on my team one day and he was stinking it up. [Laughs] I might be the best.

SLAM: When it comes to video games, do you talk trash or let your game talk?

DSJ: If I’m really in my bag, I might say a couple of words. Otherwise, I’m just doing my thing.

SLAM: Is that the same way on the court?

DSJ: In basketball, I just go out there and do my job.

SLAM: So you like playing twos, you said. Who would you team up with in COD?

DSJ: It’s hard to say, cause I don’t know how many guys in the League play. But right now I’d say Dorian Finney-Smith. He’s the only other guy I know that plays.

SLAM: You’ll find out real soon that almost everyone plays.

DSJ: That’ll be good [laughs]. Any time, any day, I’m ready to roll.

SLAM: If you were playing twos in hoops and could only get one guy on your team who would it be?

DSJ: Dorian Finney-Smith.

SLAM: So you think you and him could take LeBron and Isaiah Thomas in a game?

DSJ: Yeah, for sure. Bet that.

SLAM: What’s your go-to move on the court?

DSJ: Definitely just getting to the rack [laughs]. Whatever happens there happens, but that’s the plan.

SLAM: You said you played with Markelle, but with other cats from the rookie class would you like to play with in COD?

DSJ: I might say Markelle, just because I know for a fact that I’m going to win that [laughs].

SLAM: So, you’re a rookie, which means you want to keep getting better. How do you get better at COD?

DSJ: Just by playing more and more and learning the maps. The key to Call of Duty is always learning the maps quickly.

SLAM: And what about in hooping? How do you focus on getting better?

DSJ: Making sure that I’m able to do anything that I might need to do in a game—whether that’s passing, shooting, learning where my teammates want the ball or how to react to certain things.

SLAM: This is random, but when you were growing up did you own any NBA jerseys? If so, which one was your favorite?

DSJ: My favorite was a Steve Nash jersey that was handed down from my older cousin Mookie to my little cousin Isaiah and then down to me. That was a Phoenix Suns Steve Nash jersey.

SLAM: That’s dope because he was a great Dallas point guard, too.

DSJ: That’s true.

SLAM: Was that the first jersey you owned too?

DSJ: That was the first and, actually, only jersey I ever owned.

SLAM: How you going to feel when you see a bunch of kids rocking your jersey this year?

DSJ: I’m going to be blown away. It’s something you dream about, but never see how it’ll actually happen. It’s just a dream. You don’t wait it out too much, but you just believe it can happen. Now that it’s finally happening, it’s crazy.

—

Tzvi Twersky is a Contributing Editor to SLAM and the Director of Basketball at Stance. Follow him on Twitter @TTwersky.

Barea left Monday afternoon and plans to return Tuesday night, missing the first day of Mavs training camp.

“I was really proud of J.J. and how quickly he got involved and how hard he worked to make all of this happen,” Cuban told ESPN in a text message.

“That’s a situation that he’s got to take care of,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Mark gave him our team plane. They loaded up a bunch of stuff, supplies, etc., to take over to Puerto Rico, and they’re going to turn around and come back. He’s going to take his mom and grandmother back with him, and my understanding is his dad is going to stay over there and slug it out with all of the recovery efforts.”

The big fella is betting on himself, and clearly believes he can get a max deal on the open market next year.

Per ESPN:

The offer was signed in Los Angeles this week, according to sources.

Noel, 23, recently switched agents, hiring LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group after a summer in which he was unable to fashion an acceptable multiyear deal from the Mavericks or garnish an offer sheet elsewhere.

A reported $17 million offer from Dallas was nonexistent in any form, according to sources close to Noel, though league sources say a four-year, $70 million contract was offered to Noel on July 1.

Sources said that the four-year offer was pulled when Noel asked for a max deal.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nerlens-noel-inks-4-1-million-qualifying-offer-dallas/feed/02017 NBAESACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 4: Nerlens Noel #3 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 4, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: Nerlens Noel Turned Down Mavericks’ $17.5 Million Per Year Offerhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nerlens-noel-turned-down-mavericks-17-5-million-year-offer/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nerlens-noel-turned-down-mavericks-17-5-million-year-offer/#respondThu, 24 Aug 2017 21:42:17 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=455939

Dirk added that he looks forward to Noel being part of some athletic lineups—”when I’m out of the game.”

Via the Dallas Morning News:

“We’re looking forward to the future and the whole Noel situation is a little unfortunate I think,” Nowitzki said.

“We traded for him to keep him for the long run. I’m not sure what the latest is there, but I’m hoping that things will work out and he’s coming back to the Mavs and we’d have a crew that at times can be very athletic — when I’m out of the game.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephen-curry-crashes-random-house-party/feed/02017 Getty ImagesOAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smokes a cigar after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 in Game 5 to win the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Nerlens Noel ‘Very Disappointed’ with Mavericks Contract Negotiationshttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nerlens-noel-very-disappointed-mavericks-contract-negotiations/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nerlens-noel-very-disappointed-mavericks-contract-negotiations/#respondTue, 18 Jul 2017 20:27:44 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=450375

A source said that the Mavericks are not in the market for Rose, even though they have had good success in the past with players coming off major injuries.

They already have a couple of veteran point guards to school youngsters Dennis Smith Jr. and Yogi Ferrell. J.J. Barea and Devin Harris will serve that purpose well.

It’s clear that the Mavericks are sticking to their game plan of getting younger and aiming for a couple years down the road to be serious about contending again. Rose simply doesn’t fit with that strategy.

Rose made $21.3 million last season and will be in line for a major salary cut this summer. There will be a market for him. It’s just not in Dallas.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/report-mavs-serious-contender-sign-derrick-rose/feed/02017 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - JANUARY 25: Derrick Rose #25 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 25, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Report: Dallas Mavericks Finalizing 2-Year, $10 Million Deal With Dirk Nowitzkihttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dallas-mavericks-finalizing-two-year-10-million-deal-dirk-nowitzki/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dallas-mavericks-finalizing-two-year-10-million-deal-dirk-nowitzki/#respondThu, 06 Jul 2017 18:33:08 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=449178

Yogi Ferrell sat and watched as names flew off the board at the 2016 NBA Draft. The former Indiana Hoosier, whose stats at the school rank right up there with those of Isiah Thomas, saw players with far less pedigree and résumés being plucked off the board while he waited.

And waited.

Teams at the back end of the second round called to offer D-League opportunities, but Ferrell and his agent turned them down. Once Tyrone Wallace’s name was called at No. 60, Ferrell sat without a team while the future of his career hung in the balance.

“That night I was pretty sad because after 11 of my 16 pre-draft workouts, I felt like I could really say that I impressed the organizations and I felt like one team wanted to pick me up in the draft,” says Ferrell, who was in Indianapolis before heading back to Dallas for offseason workouts, when we spoke. “That was a tough night. But I stayed with it—I used it as another chip on my shoulder.”

The draft night snub was a surprise to those who have known Yogi since he was a child. Ever since he touched the hardwood, Ferrell had been a star. His father, Kevin Sr, used to take him to play pickup with grown men at the YMCA or Lifetime Fitness, and Junior held his own. When he was in the fifth grade, he was ranked as the top player in the nation, but his parents intervened and pulled him from AAU ball later on in middle school. Kevin Sr wanted his son to “get rid of the noise,” as Yogi puts it, and not lose out on his childhood.

Still, Yogi’s brief hiatus from the summer circuit—he returned in high school—did not stop his rise and development. A McDonald’s All-American in 2012, Ferrell committed to the hometown Indiana Hoosiers and went on to start all 137 games he played in.

The 6-0 point guard finished his senior year with averages of 17.6 points, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game as IU won the Big Ten Championship outright and advanced to the Sweet 16. He finished first in career assists, second in career three-pointers made, played and started in the most career games and ranks sixth in career scoring at the blue blood school.

Beloved in his hometown and by the university, Ferrell’s draft night experience was a sobering one to say the least.

Yogi eventually signed a Summer League deal with the Brooklyn Nets, then bounced around between the Nets and their D-League affiliate in Long Island. He appeared in 10 NBA games with Brooklyn while he and his agent entertained overseas deals.

During his brief stay in Brooklyn, the 24-year-old learned under Jeremy Lin, not knowing at the time that his career path was headed for a similar trajectory.

“I talked to Jeremy a lot and he told me that he felt like I was an NBA player and to stick with it and go out there and just kill,” says Yogi. “He said, ‘Someone is going to notice you, someone is always in the stands. The best thing you can do is go out there and give it your all.’”

Lin’s words proved to be a foreshadowing of what was to come.

While Ferrell toiled away with the Long Island Nets, the struggling Dallas Mavericks were in need of a playmaker. They gave Yogi a call in late January and offered a 10-day contract. The down-but-not-out baller was on his way to Texas almost as soon as he hung up the phone.

“I was with the Nets’ D-League team and we were getting ready to play a game in Erie, PA—random city, don’t ever go there,” Ferrell remembers. “My agent called me about four hours before the game and said the Mavs wanted to sign me to a 10-day. I went straight to the airport in Erie and flew to Dallas and the next day I was the first guy out there because I needed to learn the offense.

“Rick Carlisle came up to me and was like, You’re starting tomorrow against the Spurs,” he continues. “In my mind, I’m like, Wow, I’m starting my first game against Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Manu and the Spurs. Someone within the Mavs organization told me that what he sees a lot of times with guys on a 10-day contract is they try to come in and fit the system. You can’t really do that. He told me to come in and play my game and everything else will come with it.”

Ferrell took the advice and ran with it, helping the Mavs to a 105-101 win in his first career start. With Yogi handling starting point duties, the Mavs then went on a four-game winning streak that culminated with a 108-104 dub over the Blazers, during which Yogi hit a rookie-high nine three-pointers and finished with 32 points.

Yogi, who had watched 60 players get selected ahead of him just eight months prior, was suddenly one of the most exciting stories in the NBA.

During his career-best night, the rook was noticeably confident and played with a swagger not often seen from an undrafted player on a 10-day. This wasn’t a coincidence—he had been offered a two-year contract with the Mavs hours before tip-off, putting his mind at ease and allowing him to play loose.

“A few hours before the game, my agent actually told me that they wanted to sign me to a two-year deal,” Yogi says. “I felt like a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. I felt like I could go out there and play free and not worry about mistakes. I actually signed the contract on the plane before we landed.”

The Mavs organization has a long history of being a place where veteran players find a second-life and a spot where young players get their careers off on the right foot. In Yogi Ferrell, it looks like Dallas has found another piece to help them rebound from a rare missed postseason berth. And Ferrell is surrounded by experienced NBAers like JJ Barea, Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris, a solid group of vets to shown him the ropes.

“Devin and JJ have really helped me out a lot,” he says. “Devin would always tell me, ‘Attack, attack, attack.’ JJ is so deceptive. If I’m on the bench, I’m watching him and how he gets into the lane. I’ve been trying to study him because he throws a lot of great lobs to the bigs. I’ve been trying to soak in as much knowledge as possible from these guys.”

With an offseason of workouts ahead, Yogi is already thinking about the ways he can help the Mavs rack up wins next season.

“I’m the type of player to go out there and bring my energy to the court,” he says proudly. “I bring my all defensively and offensively and do my all to win. I just let my game do the talking.”

–

Peter Walsh is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @Peter_M_Walsh.

Seth also said that he and his brother split one-on-one games and shooting games “50-50” in the backyard when they were kids. This past season, the younger Curry shot a higher percentage from three than his older bro. But Stephen hit an NBA-high 324 long-distance shots, while Seth made 137.

Only way to settle this one is with a three-point contest at All-Star Weekend.

“Some of the statements I made about (Nowitzki) were misconstrued to make it seem like I was trying to knock him and knock his career,” Abdul-Jabbar said on The Jump on ESPN. “Nothing could be further from the truth.

“He helped the game evolve by stretching the court with his accurate three-point shooting. Anybody that can lead the league multiple times as the leading scorer is awesome. And anything that I said that made anybody think differently, they got it wrong. And I wanted him to hear that from me.”

Nowitzki won the 2007 MVP and carried Dallas to the 2011 NBA title. He’s a 13-time All-Star, an Olympian, and his transformative three-point prowess as a 7-footer paved the way for an influx of versatile big men coming to the NBA from Europe.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/kareem-abdul-jabbar-backtracks-dirk-nowitzki-criticism/feed/02017 NBAEDALLAS, TX - MARCH 7: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at The American Airlines Center on March 7, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sergio Hentschel/NBAE
via Getty Images)The NBA Said No to Tony Romo Playing for Mavshttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-said-no-tony-romo-playing-mavs/
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When he approached NBA commissioner Adam Silver with the idea, Cuban said, “I told him what I was going to do and said, ‘Fine me if you don’t like it.'”

Silver told Cuban the contract would not be honored, which killed the idea but did not stop the Mavericks from honoring the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

“Signing him and stuff like that, would have been too much for a lot of reasons,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said before his team’s 109-91 loss. “No. 1, he’s a football athlete that’s not ready to play in an NBA game. That’s very risky. No. 2, to sign a guy with all of our requirements from a physical standpoint with the hours and hours of screening and all that kinds of other stuff, it just wasn’t worth going there. And that’s not really what this is about.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-said-no-tony-romo-playing-mavs/feed/02017 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - APRIL 11: Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys and Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks before the third quarter during a game against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center on April 11, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Tony Romo Hits the Courts with the Mavshttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/tony-romo-hits-courts-mavs/
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Tony Romo’s been with the Dallas Cowboys since 2005. In that time he went to four Pro Bowls, scored 248 touchdowns and took the ‘Boys to six playoff games.

Because of a back injury, the 36-year-old Romo lost his starting job to rookie Dak Prescott during this previous season. He announced his retirement last week, beginning next season as CBS’ top football analyst.

Romo’s a staple in Dallas and to honor everything he’s done for the D, Mark Cuban and the Mavs signed him to a contract a few days ago. Romo practiced with the team earlier today, participated in tonight’s layup line and was then introduced as a starter.

According to ESPN, Romo will be honored as a “Maverick for a day” on Tuesday against the Nuggets.

More from ESPN:

With starting point guard Seth Curry ailing in recent days and officially out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder ailment, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said on multiple occasions over the past week that the club would be looking to add “a pass-first point guard” before playing out the season’s final five days.

People within the organization, sources tell ESPN, say he has been referring to Romo.

Head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t get into specific details, but said that he is looking forward to “honoring one of Dallas’ all-time best athletes:”

In a text message Saturday to reporters who cover the team, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said, “Along with Mark Cuban and the Mavs organization, I very much look forward to honoring one of Dallas’ all-time best athletes and people with a very special experience. I can’t get into specific details at this time, but encourage fans to be in their seats when warm ups begin at 715 pm.”

In a classic regular season showdown, Paul George and LeBron James gave fans their money’s worth; scoring over 40 points each in a game that went to double-overtime. C.J. Miles stepped up with a 27-point showing on the road, while Thad Young and Jeff Teague scored 19 and 17 points, respectively. James, who played a season-high 52 minutes in the victory, had a testy exchange with Tristan Thompson toward the game’s conclusion:

https://youtu.be/9QsLtm6NZI8

Celtics 110 (50-27), Knicks 94 (29-48)

The Celtics were dominant early and often at MSG, scoring 60 first half points en route to a comfortable win over the Derrick Rose-less Knicks. Isaiah Thomas got a full workload in just 23 minutes, scoring 19 points with six dimes. Jaylen Brown impressed in a 16-point performance, showing off the hops on this slam:

The Hornets were resilient in Sunday’s road win, staving off Russell Westbrook’s 40-point showing for their third straight victory. Backed by a 29-point effort from Kemba Walker, Charlotte is now just one game behind the Heat and Pacers for the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. We’re sure he’d trade it for a W, but with his most recent triple-double Russell Westbrook is just one game behind Oscar Robertson for the all-time season record.

Spurs 109 (59-17), Jazz 103 (47-30)

Gregg Popovich was without Manu Ginobili, David Lee and Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green, but still found a way to pull off the victory against Rudy Gobert (19p, 14r) and the Jazz. Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker scored 25 and 21 points, respectively, in San Antonio’s seventh win in their last 10 games. Rudy Gobert, who made waves by calling out his teammates following a recent loss, took a more understanding tone after Sunday.

Tough loss today but we kept fighting until the end. Now let's go home and get ready for Tuesday. #ontothenextone

Harrison Barnes scored 15 fourth quarter points, lifting Dallas to a come-from-behind win over the Bucks. The Bucks, who have just a one game lead over Atlanta for the fifth seed, were unable to mount an offensive attack outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 points, 15 rebounds).

Three Lakers had double-doubles (Thomas Robinson, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr.), while D’Angelo Russell scored 28 for an upset win over the playoff-bound Grizzlies. While Mike Conley and Troy Daniels scored 20 points apiece, David Fizdale’s squad will look to regroup before Tuesday’s match-up with San Antonio.

Raptors 113 (47-30), 76ers 105 (28-49)

The Raptors secured their ninth straight home victory thanks to 24 points from Serge Ibaka and 17p/9a from DeMar DeRozan. Toronto could certainly use Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker’s presence in the lineup, but they still managed to shoot 54.1% from the field against the rebuilding Sixers. TLC had quite a game for Philly, notching a career-high 23 points.

Nets 91 (18-59), Hawks 82 (39-38)

Yeah…this is going to be one to forget for the Hawks. With all of their starters healthy except Thabo Sefolosha and Malcolm Delaney, Atlanta shot just 37.5% in a crucial road loss. Now 2-8 over their last 10, the Hawks’ late-season skid doesn’t inspire much confidence as the playoffs near. The Nets, meanwhile, rode 29 points from Brook Lopez and 15 from Jeremy Lin in a morale-boosting W.

Bulls 117 (38-39), Pelicans 110 (33-44)

Boogie and The Brow did their thing- combining for 56 points with 29 rebounds- but Jimmy Butler was just too much, scoring 29 points in Chicago’s fourth straight W. For all of the turmoil surrounding the Bulls earlier in the season, Chicago now has a one game lead over the seventh seed, hitting their stride at just the right moment. Bobby Portis scored 21 off the bench, and Rajon Rondo continued his resurgence with a 10p/9a/9r line.

Nuggets 116 (36-40), Heat 113 (37-40)

Miami continues to lack offensive punch with Dion Waiters sidelined, as Danilo Gallinari’s 29 points led the Nuggets to a desperately needed win. The Rooster hit a pair of jumpers to give Denver the lead late in the fourth quarter, which they would hold on to until the finish.

Stephen Curry was in rare form tonight, going off for 42 points on nine 3-pointers with eight assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 points off the bench, but neither Bradley Beal nor John Wall had their best night, resulting in Washington’s third straight L.

Rockets 123 (52-25), Suns 116 (22-56)

The James Harden-less Rockets handled Phoenix with relative ease, as Lou Williams, Troy Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Eric Gordon all netted 20-plus point games. Tyler Ulis ran the Suns’ offense with a career-high 34 points, and Devin Booker contributed 27, but Earl Watson’s club is merely playing out the season, having dropped 12 straight.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-evenly-matched-lebron-paul-george-2017/feed/02017 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 2: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against Paul George #13 of the Indiana Pacers on April 2, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)Russell Westbrook Hangs Triple-Double and Game-Winner on Mavshttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/russell-westbrook-hangs-triple-double-game-winner-mavs/
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Russell Westbrook rescued Oklahoma City with a stunning rally and guaranteed the first losing record for Dallas in 17 full seasons under owner Mark Cuban.

The six-time All-Star and current NBA scoring leader, whom Cuban steadfastly claims isn’t a superstar, had his third straight triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Westbrook scored 12 in a 14-0 run by Oklahoma City to finish it, but said he wasn’t trying to convince Cuban, who was in the first row of seats just a few feet from the winning shot.

“Nah, man,” said Westbrook, who has 37 triple-doubles and needs four in the final nine games to tie Oscar Robertson’s NBA record set during the 1961-62 season. “I play every night the same way. Whatever he says doesn’t even matter to me. He’s going to do his job, and I’m going to do mine.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/russell-westbrook-hangs-triple-double-game-winner-mavs/feed/02017 NBAEDALLAS, TX - MARCH 27: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder grabs the rebound during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 27, 2017 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)Post Up: Game On The Linehttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-game-line-markieff-wizards/
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First, the good: Washington erased a 21-point deficit behind 39p from John Wall, and 26p from Bradley Beal. With Saturday’s win, the Wizards passed Boston to claim the second seed, having now won seven of their last 10. Scott Brooks’ squad is exceeding expectations, and it’s been fun to watch.

Now, the not-so-good: Markieff Morris pretty clearly looked to have stepped out of bounds prior to hitting a game-winning jumper. The play was not reviewable, and Portland fans are stuck with a sour taste in their mouths from a controversial loss.

Markieff Morris' foot clearly on the sideline—and out of out bounds—as he catches the pass before his game-winner in OT. pic.twitter.com/b3p4DpP9Yo

Jamal Murray scored 11 fourth quarter points and Nikola Jokic added a double-double (20p, 14r), helping Denver gain ground over Portland for the Western Conference’s eighth seed. Gary Harris stepped up for the Nuggets, leading all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Buddy Hield turned in a nice performance (17 points, six boards), but there weren’t many positives for Dave Joerger.

With Saturday’s W, the Clippers have now beaten Philadelphia in 10 of their last 11 games. Chris Paul led the way with 30 points, DeAndre Jordan double-doubled (20r, 19p), and Blake Griffin added 15. The Sixers battled to the finish, outscoring L.A. 37-21 in the fourth quarter; earning Doc Rivers’ respect in the process.

“I can tell you what Philly is not, and that’s the worst team,” Rivers said. “People who have never coached have no idea how hard it is to get a team that’s not winning to buy into roles. That is a near impossibility, and yet Brett [Brown] somehow pulls that off.”

Pistons 112 (32-33), Knicks 92 (26-39)

The Pistons raced to an 18-point lead in the first quarter, and never looked back. Tobias Haris scored 28 points- 23 n the first half alone- and Andre Drummond dominated the boards for a 24p/15r line. The Knicks continued their second half swoon, having now dropped seven of their last 10, managing just 11 fourth quarter points.

One of these days Phil needs to organize a "team defense clinic" for the Knicks.

The Cavs snapped a three-game skid thanks to a 24p/13a/12r triple-double from LeBron James, 22 points from Kyrie Irving, and 50% team shooting from beyond the arc. Orlando, on the other hand, converted just 19% of their 3-point attempts.

“Tonight was a good step in the right direction,” James said after the victory. “Everyone has to be productive. It’s a process. We don’t get too high, and we don’t get too low in a long season. I’m just doing whatever I need to do to help this team win.”

Pelicans 125 (25-40), Hornets 122 (29-36)

Have a birthday, Anthony Davis! On the day he turned 24, AD scored 46 points to go with 21 boards, lifting the Pels to an overtime victory. Davis put the team on his back in this one, scoring 24 of his points between the fourth quarter and OT. DeMarcus Cousins, who managed just 11 points, racked up five fouls by the start of the fourth quarter. The Hornets can take solace in a career night for Marvin Williams (27p, 10r), as well as 24 points apiece for Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. Charlotte will have a tough road to the postseason, now trailing Milwaukee 3.5 games for the eighth seed.

Heat 104 (31-34), Raptors 89 (38-27)

The Heat continue their torrid run, having now won 21 of their last 25 games. Dion Waiters had a team-high 20 points, Tyler Johnson added 16 off the bench, and Goran Dragic scored 15 before eventually leaving with an eye injury. The Dragon showed off his shiner late in the game:

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 35 points weren’t enough against Milwaukee, as seven Bucks scored in double-digits to assume sole possession of the eighth seed. Jason Kidd‘s squad is now riding a six-game winning streak, and the former 10-time All-Star couldn’t be happier.

“We’d love for everybody to score 10 points but the big thing is these guys kept fighting,” Kidd said. “There are a lot of tired bodies in that locker room.”

Tony Snell led the Bucks with 19 points, and Ricky Rubio scored 22 points while dishing out eight assists for the Wolves.

Spurs 107 (50-14), Warriors 85 (52-13)

Well, this wasn’t the primetime showdown ABC executives were probably expecting before the season. The Spurs- sans Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Dejounte Murray, and LaMarcus Aldridge– were in control every moment of this game. Steve Kerr gave out minutes to his younger players, and Ian Clark took advantage of the opportunity, netting a career-high 36 points. Golden State will look to regroup before Tuesday’s match-up with the 76ers.

Ian Clark has his first career 30-point game & the first 30-point game by a Warriors reserve since Jordan Crawford scored 41 on 4/16/14

It hasn’t been pretty for the Grizzlies of late. Memphis has now dropped five straight, shooting a dismal 17% from long-distance against the Hawks. Paul Millsap, Dennis Schroder, and Kent Bazemore all scored 15+, and recent pick-up Jose Calderon added 14 off the bench. In a game they led by 26 at one point, Saturday’s win pushes Atlanta’s fifth-seed lead to 3.5 games over the Pacers.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-game-line-markieff-wizards/feed/02017 NBAEPORTLAND, OR - MARCH 11: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards shoots the ball to win the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 11, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)Post Up: Fade Like Dirkhttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-dirk-club-milestone-westbrook-beal/
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Dirk Nowitzki joined the 30,000-point club, Russell Westbrook dropped a new career-high, and more from Tuesday.

Despite Russell Westbrook’s career-high 58 points, OKC absorbed their fourth straight loss. Portland outscored the Thunder 38-25 in the third quarter, and Westbrook cooled off in the fourth (6-of-15 shooting in the final period), helping the Trail Blazers improve to within 1.5 games of the eighth seed. Deadline acquisition Jusuf Nurkic came up huge for Terry Stotts, scoring six clutch points within the game’s final minute.

https://youtu.be/OFLOsj3ZSH4

Mavericks 122 (26-36), Lakers 111 (19-44)

Dirk Nowitzki scored his 30,000th career point as only he could; hitting a perfect fadeaway over Larry Nance Jr.

What a moment for Dirk, who now joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in league history to reach the 30K mark. While Nowitzki’s 25 points came in the first half, Seth Curry added 18 (including four from beyond the arc) and Yogi Ferrell scored 16 to give Dallas their third straight W. Dirk received props from several fellow NBA players on Twitter, but this one had to feel nice:

In a game with some bad blood, the Wizards held off Phoenix, improving to 1.5 games ahead of Toronto for the third seed. It was hardly an easy W for Scott Brooks’ squad- Brandon Jennings was ejected in the first half and the Wizards squandered a 22-point lead- but John Wall was stellar over 37 minutes, and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 29 points off the bench.

Brooks summarized the game well:

“That was a wild game. That was like an old ABA game,” Brooks said. “Crazy.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-dirk-club-milestone-westbrook-beal/feed/02017 NBAEDALLAS, TX - MARCH 7: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball to score his 30,000th career point during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 7, 2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)Mark Cuban: Russell Westbrook ‘Not’ in MVP Racehttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-russell-westbrook-not-mvp-race/
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Russell Westbrook is not a leading MVP candidate this season, says Mark Cuban.

It’s a “toss-up” between James Harden, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, says Cubes.

Per ESPN:

“He’s not,” Cuban said while going through his pregame exercise routine ahead of Dallas’ 104-89 win over OKC.

Cuban is well-aware that Westbrook is on pace to join Oscar Robertson, who is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. Westbrook leads the NBA in scoring (31.7 points per game), ranks third in assists (10.1) and 12th in rebounding (10.7). Cuban acknowledges that Westbrook is “an amazing athlete” who is the “most explosive” player in the league and has the “best motor.”

However, the Thunder (35-27) are on pace to fall short of 50 wins, which Cuban considers the benchmark for a player to be considered a superstar, much less an MVP candidate. […] “The criteria hasn’t changed,” Cuban said. With a wry smile, he added: “And if I changed my mind, it would ruin all the fun for you guys.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-russell-westbrook-not-mvp-race/feed/02017 NBAEDALLAS, TX - MARCH 5: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5, 2017 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)Dirk Nowitzki Says He Plans On Playing Next Seasonhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-says-plans-playing-next-season/
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Despite playing in just 35 games and averaging 13.5 points per game, 38-year-old Dirk Nowitzki has no intention of hanging ’em up at the end of this season.

Nowitzki joined ESPN’s TureHoop Conversations podcast with Marc Stein and said that he will play out the remainder of his two-year deal that he signed last summer “unless something drastic changes.”

More from ESPN:

“…Unless something drastic changes here in the next few weeks or the last few weeks of the season, which I don’t anticipate.

“I said last summer: I signed a two-year deal, [and] that obviously meant I want to play for two more,” Nowitzki continued. “I want to complete that deal.”

If Nowitzki does indeed play next season, it will be his 20th-straight with the Mavs, which, according to ESPN, would tie Kobe Bryant as the longest-tenure with one franchise. Nowitzki currently ranks sixth all time on the scoring list. At 25-36, the Mavs sit 2.5 games out of the eight seed in the West.

Back in December, Nerlens Noel voiced his displeasure with his minutes and said that he and the Sixers had to “figure this shit out.” Since then, Noel has seen an uptick in minutes and production and is now on his way out of town.

According to Woj, Noel has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut and a first-round pick:

Philadelphia is sending Nerlens Noel to Dallas for Justin Anderson and a first-round draft pick, league sources tell @TheVertical.

The Mavs are open to parting with both D-Will and center Andrew Bogut ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

Per ESPN:

Williams can’t be traded without his consent, thanks to his one-year, $9 million deal with the Mavericks after he played the previous season in Dallas. The 32-year-old would have to forfeit his free-agent Bird rights if he is dealt to another team.

However, Williams remains fond of Utah and has maintained an offseason home in the Salt Lake City area, despite his trade from the Jazz to the Nets in February 2011.

Williams, taken No. 3 overall by Utah in the 2005 draft, is averaging 13.1 points and 6.9 assists per game in his second season with the Mavs. Injuries have limited him to 40 games.

“If Cleveland is completely healthy and whole, they’re going to be favored over anybody in the East; there’s no question about that,” Carlisle said. “But the grouping below Cleveland; you’re talking about Boston, Washington, Toronto, that grouping, that’s wide open. If you can get to the conference finals in the East, you give yourself a puncher’s chance in a seven-game series.”

“We’re always looking forward, and that’s a team (Cleveland) ahead of us,” Isaiah Thomas said following Monday night’s win. “My sights are definitely on Cleveland. We’re in reach, but we just gotta keep it going.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/rick-carlisle-celtics-legitimate-chance-reach-nba-finals/feed/02017 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 13: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on February 13, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Post Up: KD Returns to OKChttps://www.slamonline.com/postup/post-up-kd-return-okc-westbrook-oladipo/
https://www.slamonline.com/postup/post-up-kd-return-okc-westbrook-oladipo/#respondSun, 12 Feb 2017 10:55:39 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=426681

Kevin Durant earned redemption in his return to OKC, the Sixers ended Miami's hot streak, and more from Saturday.

The Hornets’ swoon continues, as Steve Clifford’s squad has now dropped nine of their last 10. Nicolas Batum led all scorers with 25 points and Frank Kaminsky added 20, but Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin (22 and 20 points, respectively) spurred the Clippers to a come-from-behind victory. L.A. received a highlight for the ages in this one, as Blake Griffin threw a monstrous jam over the recently acquired Miles Plumlee.

The Bucks were without the recovering Khris Middleton (second night of a back-to-back set), using just a nine-man rotation against Indiana. Giannis Antetokounmpo came just two rebounds short of a triple-double, Malcolm Brogdon and Greg Monroe scored 17 each off the bench, and Thon Maker scored 12 points in his audition for a starting role. Let’s be real, though: this foul line dunk from the Greek Freak is the main takeaway from this game:

Of course the 76ers would be the team to slow Miami’s momentum. Robert Covington, Nerlens Noel, and Dario Saric tallied 19 points apiece to snap the Heat’s 13-game winning streak; the third longest total in franchise history. Goran Dragic scored 30 and James Johnson added 26 in the disappointing loss. Following their improbable streak, the Heat are now just 1.5 games behind an eighth-seed; should Pat Riley and Miami’s front office go for it at the trade deadline?

Westbrook posted a 47-point performance (albeit with 11 turnovers), and Victor Oladipo added 20, but Billy Donovan’s squad now sits at .500 over their last 10 games. After his emotional return to OKC was over, Durant shared his thoughts on the experience.

The Magic have found a new rock bottom, getting trounced by Wesley Matthews (20 points, six dimes) and the Mavericks in their fourth straight loss. Bismack Biyombo scored a team-high 15 points for Orlando, while Mario Hezonja played a season-high 35 minutes in Aaron Gordon‘s absence.

Rockets 133 (40-17), Suns 102 (17-38)

This result is to be expected when Houston plays one of the league’s worst defenses. James Harden went off for 40 points, including an 8-of-15 rate from downtown, and Patrick Beverley added 19 in the Rockets’ fourth straight W. Things got out of hand quickly for Phoenix; look where Harden pulled up on this one:

Recently dubbed “easily the best point guard in the Eastern Conference” by Paul Pierce, Isaiah Thomas went off for 29 points with five assists, helping Boston improve to 9-1 over their last 10 games. Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 31 points and George Hill added 22, but the Jazz were unable to overcome a 58-44 first half deficit.

C.J. McCollum capped a wild Tuesday night in Dallas by hitting a pretty, floating jumper to beat the Mavericks 114-113.

The Portland Trail Blazers overcame a late push by Dirk Nowitzki.

McCollum finished with 32 points in the road victory.

Per the AP:

McCollum’s shot capped a final minute in which the two teams traded leads six times and Dirk Nowitzki hit two clutch 3-pointers, the second a potential game-winner with 3.9 seconds left. McCollum scored Portland’s last seven points.

Damian Lillard added 29 points for the Blazers, who tied their season series with the Mavericks at 2-2 — each team winning twice on the others’ home floor.>

Mavs GM Donnie Nelson heaped praise on Ferrell after the rookie exploded for 32 points (including 9 three-pointers) to carry the Mavs to a win on Friday.

“Coach did an unusually exceptional crash course, and that young man is a sponge,” Nelson said. “If there’s a guy that has his retention — within the last 19 years on this level — I can’t remember it.”

“That’s exactly how we scripted it, step in and start against two of the top three teams in the league,” Nelson said. “It’s just really kind of a special moment in time and he put himself in a great position.”

It’s also possible that Ferrell’s recent play (and new contract) will make a Deron Williams trade more realistic.

The Cavaliers quest for another “playmaker” has lead to an all-out search. Earlier this week, Cleveland reportedly held a workout with Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich and Lance Stephenson and now the team is exploring trade options.

One player they are rumored to be interested in is Dallas point guard Deron Williams. According to a report from Sam Amico of amicohoops.net and Fox Sports Ohio, the Mavs would be willing to part ways with Williams if they got Iman Shumpert and a pick back:

The Mavericks would make a trade of guard Deron Williams to the Cavaliers for guard Iman Shumpert, but only if the Cavs included a draft pick, a league source told Amico Hoops.

Several reports have said the Cavs have an interest in Williams as a potential reserve point guard/playmaker.

The Mavs have won five out of their last six, including wins over the Spurs and Cavaliers. Rick Carlisle has been starting Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell in the backcourt.

Don’t look now, but the Mavericks have beaten the Spurs and the Cavaliers in back-to-back games and have won four out of their last five. Though the team sits at 18-30, Dallas is only four games out of the eighth seed in the West.

Following last night’s win over Cleveland, Rick Carlisle offered up a critique of his team, saying that the are a “shit team,” but an “underrated shit team.”

“It’s two really gritty performances,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “This is great to beat two teams like this. [Cleveland and San Antonio] are two of the top three teams [with Golden State] in the league. To win two games like this, it gives you energy. You don’t win these two games in two nights without staying the course and slugging it out.”

“We’re a shit team, but we’re an underrated shit team,” he said. “That’s about as accurately as I can put it.”

When told of Carlisle’s description of the team, Wesley Matthews reminded Carlisle that he’s “part of this shit, too:”

“I hope he threw himself in all that,” Wesley Matthews said with a big grin. “I’ll be sure to ask him about that. Wesley wants to make sure that Rick’s part of this [expletive], too.”

Don’t look now, but the Heat have won eight games in a row. Behind solid performances from Dragic (20p/8a) and Waiters (19p/9a), Miami held on to a four-point halftime lead. James Johnson put the exclamation point on it with a nasty putback.

The Nets really struggled from deep, connecting on just 4 of 26 three-point attempts (15.4%).

Timberwolves 111 (19-29), Magic 105 (19-31)

The Timberwolves got big games out of Wiggins (27p), Rubio (22p/8a/8r), and Towns (23p/12r/7a), and managed to secure their 19th victory in overtime. Ricky hit a career-high six three-pointers and Wiggins put another defender on a poster. It seems that the young core is finally figuring out how to win, as Minnesota has taken eight of their last eleven.

Celtics 113 (30-18), Pistons 109 (21-27)

Mr. Fourth Quarter, Isaiah Thomas, had 24 of his 41 total points in the final twelve minutes, helping his Celtics to get the win at home. With an average of 32.9 points per game in January, Thomas just finished the third best scoring month in Celtics franchise history. Andre Drummond was a monster for Detroit, posting 28 points and 22 rebounds. Boston has won four straight, while the Pistons have lost their last three.

Mavericks 104 (18-30), Cavaliers 97 (32-15)

Cleveland’s struggles continued, as they fell to 7-8 in the month of January.

For the 1st time in more than 10 years, LeBron had a losing record in a calendar month.

Kyrie had some flashy moves, but shot a poor 7/21 from the field. The King flirted with a triple-double (23p/9a/9r), but it wasn’t enough with Kevin Love sitting out. Barnes led the Mavs with 24 and 11 rebounds. Dallas just beat the Spurs and the Cavs on consecutive nights.

Grizzlies 115 (29-21), Suns 96 (15-33)

It was the Mike Conley show in Phoenix, as the point guard put on an offensive clinic: 38 points on 12/18 from the field and 7/10 from three, including 9 assists. Memphis led by 11 at the break and never looked back. Phoenix struggled against the Grizzlies’ tough defense, connecting on just 41.9% of their shot attempts.

“I’m disappointed personally because I think Enes had been playing very good basketball,” (Thunder coach Billy) Donovan said. “He’d kind of carved out a niche coming off the bench for us with that second unit. He was a guy that generated offense for us.”

Russell Westbrook called it “very unfortunate” that the injury was self-inflicted, but Kanter’s teammates were understanding afterward. Steven Adams, who said he’d never seen Kanter erupt in that way, said Kanter’s frustrations were “continuous things” that “just exploded.”

Despite James Harden’s 13th triple-double of the season (40p, 12r, 10a), Goran Dragic and the Heat earned their first victory since Jan. 4. Dragic tallied 21 points with eight boards and eight dimes, Wayne Ellington dropped 18, and Dion Waiters scored 17. The Rockets, who were without Ryan Anderson against Miami, will have a tough match-up with the Warriors on Friday.

ESPN has removed Heat vs Bulls from their January 27 NBA broadcast schedule and replaced it with Rockets vs Sixers.

No Kyle Lowry? No problem. DeMar DeRozan lit up the Nets for 36 points and Cory Joseph added a career-high 33, lifting Toronto to a franchise-best 28-13 record at the midway point of the season. Brook Lopez scored a team-high 28 points and rookie Caris Levert added 14, but the Nets’ 11-game skid continued.

Mavericks 99 (13-27), Bulls 98 (19-22)

Jimmy Butler was this close to playing hero in Tuesday’s match-up. “Buckets” knocked down a clutch jumper to put Chicago ahead with just 22.8 seconds left in regulation, before Deron Williams found Wesley Matthews for a game-deciding 3-pointer in Dallas’ final possession.

Butler double-doubled (24p, 12a) and Robin Lopez added 21 in a tough loss for the Bulls.

Spurs 122 (32-8), Timberwolves 114 (14-27)

The T’Wolves showed off their offensive potential in the early-going, netting 71 first half points. However, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge were ultimately too much for Tom Thibodeau’s squad, scoring a combined 63 points in Leonard’s fourth consecutive 30+ point game. Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio each double-doubled, but Andrew Wiggins was limited to just eight shot attempts on the night.

Defense wasn’t a priority for either team, as the Nuggets utilized a 13-2 first half run to maintain their lead for good at the Staples Center.

https://twitter.com/DannyLeroux/status/821592076563468289

Will Barton was a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc in a 26-point night, and Nikola Jokic was stellar in a 29-point, 15-rebound showing. Ivica Zubac was effective in his return from a D-League assignment, though he did get dunked on by Wilson Chandler:

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-big-shot-wes/feed/02017 NBAELOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 17: Will Barton #5 of the Denver Nuggets goes for a lay up against the Denver Nuggets during the game on January 17, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)WATCH: Wesley Matthews Hits the Game-Winner in Chicagohttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-wesley-matthews-hits-game-winner-chicago/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-wesley-matthews-hits-game-winner-chicago/#respondWed, 18 Jan 2017 04:30:19 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=423168

Wesley Matthews concluded a crazy sequence in Chicago by draining the game-winning trey, lifting the underachieving Mavs to a feel-good victory on the road. Veteran guard Deron Williams deserves serious props for the final possession; his court vision allowed Wes to take the uncontested shot.

Cuban quickly fired back with a lengthy response—he promises to remain “aggressive about trying to force change in the officiating group.”

Per Yahoo:

In a recent letter to Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, NBRA general counsel Lee Seham outlined what the union considers to be a lengthy pattern of documented violations by Cuban of the NBA constitution and “undue influence of the league’s management of its officials.”

“We consider the threat to the integrity of NBA basketball presented by Mr. Cuban’s misconduct to be real and growing,” Seham wrote on Dec. 9.

In response to the league rejecting Seham’s premise that Cuban holds an “inappropriate influence” over referee employment decisions, the union’s general counsel responded: “No other owner has communicated to our members with such force that he exercises control over their careers. He has communicated that he played a pivotal role in the termination of Kevin Fehr, a referee who met league performance standards. He has communicated to an NBRA board member, during contract negotiations, that the referees would continue to be at-will employees. He has told a referee, during a game, that he follows that referee’s game reports.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/nba-refs-accuse-mark-cuban-threats-intimidation/feed/02016 Getty ImagesCHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 15: Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks watces as his team takes on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 15, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Mavericks defeated the Bulls 83-77. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)Andrew Bogut: ‘I Haven’t Asked for a Trade’https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/andrew-bogut-havent-asked-trade/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/andrew-bogut-havent-asked-trade/#respondThu, 05 Jan 2017 20:57:20 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=421986

Andrew Bogut has not asked the Mavs to ship him out of town, but he won't beg them to keep him either.

Bogut, 32, says he hopes the Mavs keep him for the remainder of the season.

Per ESPN:

“I’m not silly. I’ve been in this league long enough. I’m an expiring contract,” Bogut said Thursday, a day after expressing during an interview with Australia’s Sky Sports Radio that he expected his time in Dallas to be brief. “I haven’t asked for a trade, but I know in this league we’re 11-24, and I was being honest. There’s a chance that I get traded. That turned out into a headline that says ‘Bogut wants out,’ which is false, but it’s just one of the things you have to deal with in this league.

“Like I said, they can obviously get some picks back and build for the future by trading some of the veteran guys, and I could be one of them. Hint and emphasis on ‘could.’ I’m not saying I’ve gone to management and asked for a trade, which I haven’t. I also haven’t gone to management and begged them not to trade me. I’m just waiting to see what happens.”

“Do I want to be traded? Look, if there’s an opportunity to go somewhere and they want to do it, I’m not going to beg them to not trade me,” Bogut said. “But I have not gone to the [front] office and asked for a trade. That’s probably the best answer that I can give you. It’s been a tough season for everybody involved, but it’s far from the truth that I’ve gone to management and asked for a trade.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/andrew-bogut-havent-asked-trade/feed/02016 Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 08: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to scoring during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 8, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)Andrew Bogut: ‘Thankfully I’m a Free Agent’https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/andrew-bogut-thankfully-im-a-free-agent/
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“Thankfully I’m a free agent here so I only have a couple of months more here and then will most likely move on,” Bogut said. “I don’t see myself hanging around with everything that’s gone on. It will be an interesting six months ahead.”

Asked if he expected to be moved before the February 23 trade deadline, Bogut said: “You never know.”

In the final season of a three-year $36 million deal he signed with Golden State in 2014, Bogut has added value as a trade asset. […] “I’ve got a valuable contract … having four months left on my contract I’m a valuable commodity to be moved,” he said.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/andrew-bogut-thankfully-im-a-free-agent/feed/02016 NBAEDALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 3: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Chicago Bulls on December 3, 2016 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)Post Up: Randle is Rollinghttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-randle-rolling-post-up/
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Julius Randle's third career triple-double, Isaiah Thomas' highlight-reel night, and more from Tuesday.

The Lakers certainly didn’t play like a 12-25 team in Tuesday’s match-up. Nick Young drained six 3-pointers to score a team-high 20 points while Julius Randle recorded a triple-double (19p, 14r, 11a). It was an off-night for the Grizzlies, who shot a combined 38% from the field despite 20-plus point performances from Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

Robert Covington was hearing it from the crowd throughout yesterday’s game- shooting 4-of-14 from the floor- but he came through when it counted, scoring the game-winning bucket with 1.6 seconds left in regulation. Joel Embiid helped the cause with 25 points, eight boards and a pair of blocks. Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine were stellar, but Andrew Wiggins was held to just eight points in the loss.

https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA/status/816553666824011776

Celtics 115 (21-14), Jazz 104 (22-14)

Gordon Hayward scored 23 points on 50% shooting, but this one was otherwise the Isaiah Thomas show. Thomas, who entered Tuesday averaging 33.9 points over his last seven games, tallied 29 points with 15 dimes. His highlights, particularly when maneuvering around the 7’1” Rudy Gobert, are a sight to be seen.

In an awkward subplot, Jae Crowder voiced his grievances with Celtics fans after the game. Disturbed that fans cheered for Gordon Hayward (thought to be a potential free agent signing of the Celtics), Crowder welcomed the idea of finding a new team.

https://twitter.com/NBA_Skits/status/816517906750115841

Pacers 121 (18-18), Pistons 116 (16-21)

The Pacers won a significant road match-up at the Palace behind 32 points from Paul George and 17 apiece from Jeff Teague and Myles Turner. Despite a team-high 22 points from Tobias Harris, the Pistons dropped to 2-8 over their last 10 games. Stan Van Gundy was characteristically blunt after the defeat.

“Our starters didn’t guard anyone, and neither did our bench,” Van Gundy said. “I’ve got to figure out who to play and when to play them, but they aren’t making it easy on us.”

Mavericks 113 (11-24), Wizards 105 (16-18)

New year, same Wizards. John Wall, the most recent Eastern Conference Player of the Week, scored 27 points with eight dimes in Washington’s second straight loss. Harrison Barnes led the Mavs with 26 points and Deron Williams added 21.

Spurs 110 (28-7), Raptors 82 (23-11)

Fatigue was clearly a factor in Toronto’s lopsided loss at the AT&T Center, as the team completed its sixth straight road game in 12 days. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 and 23 points, respectively, while Tony Parker scored 15 points with eight dimes. The Raptors, who shot a combined 37% from the field in Tuesday’s loss, will receive a night off before returning home against the Jazz on Thursday.

Kings 120 (15-19), Nuggets 113 (14-21)

The Kings are tough to beat when DeMarcus Cousins has help on the offensive end. Boogie scored 31 points, Darren Collison added 26, and Kosta Koufos/Arron Afflalo combined for 37 in Sacramento’s fifth win in their last seven games. Nuggets coach Mike Malone didn’t mince words after the game:

“Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships. Right now our defense is the worst in the NBA. That is the bottom line. It is embarrassing how we go out and attempt to defend every night. That is something that we have to try and fix as soon as possible, because it’s at an all-time low right now, and that is a huge concern of mine.”

Suns 99 (11-25), Heat 90 (10-26)

Willie Reed performed admirably in Hassan Whiteside’s absence- scoring 22 points with 18 boards- but Miami had no answers for Devin Booker, who turned in a stellar 27-point night. The Heat will be hard-pressed to compete without Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow, James Johnson or Josh McRoberts.

With his third 20-rebound game this season, @tysonchandler is the first @Suns player with three-plus in a season since Barkley (5) in 93-94

Bogut and Nowitzki have only played 53 minutes together this season—getting outscored by 62 points—largely due to the future Hall of Famer’s injuries:

“There’s no point of starting with Dirk and then getting pulled 30 seconds into a game,” Bogut told ESPN after Tuesday’s shootaround. “So I went to coach and said, ‘If you’re going to continue to do that, just bring me off the bench. I won’t be offended. We’ll get on with life.'”

“I still think when I’m completely healthy on my normal minutes that somehow we’ve got to play together,” said Nowitzki, who praised Bogut for his willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team. “We’ve just got to make it work some and find ways to get some good stops and offensively get some good possessions. I’m not ready to throw in the towel on our 4-5 combo there, but so far it hasn’t looked great.”

Bogut, 32, is skeptical that he can play with Nowitzki except for the rare occasions when the opponents uses two traditional big men. […] “Look, maybe one or two games here and there, but it puts Dirty in a bind because he’s got to be guarding a 3 or a 4 man,” said Bogut, who recently missed 11 games due to a bone bruise in his knee. “You look at the Houston game and he’s guarding Trevor Ariza or [Patrick] Beverley and I’m guarding a big. You do the math and that just won’t work. In short bursts, every now and then, maybe [it will work] if we play a team that has two bigs in there. But for the most part, the way the league’s going, you have the Ariza-type guys at the 4. I don’t see it.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/unhappy-andrew-bogut-benches-dallas/feed/02016 NBAEDALLAS, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Dallas Mavericks enters the court before the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 30, 2016 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle: ‘We’re Not In This For Ping-Pong Balls’https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mavs-rick-carlisle-ping-pong-balls/
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Rick Carlisle still thinks Dallas still has a shot at the Playoffs despite a 10-24 record.

“The record is not good. But there are a lot of teams in a similar boat. We’re not out of this (playoff run) by any stretch,” Carlisle said after Friday’s 108-99 loss to the Warriors. “We’re not in this for ping-pong balls or any of that kind of stuff.”

The Mavs are last place in the Western Conference with a 10-24 record, but can make up a lot of ground in the coming weeks.

Dallas’ starting unit has played all but 25 minutes together all season, but is healthy once again with Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut back after injury.

Seven of Dallas’ next eight opponents are .500 or worse. They also get a one-week homestand after playing six of their last seven on the road.

“That other team was trippin’ tonight, just disrespectful, unprofessional, players and coaches,” Harden said. “I don’t know what was their problem, but I think that got us going. They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit and it was over from there.”

“If you watch the replay, yeah, he made no effort to run around my screen,” said Bogut, who had a couple of sharp verbal exchanges with Harden. “Yeah, it was a hard screen and I set hard screens. But to get a flagrant for it is kind of head-scratching.

“You admire the effort the league’s putting in in Secaucus (New Jersey) with that beautiful facility where they watch replays and watch TV and have leather chairs and all that kind of stuff. But you scratch your head at a lot of these things and it becomes very, very frustrating.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/james-harden-calls-disrespectful-mavs/feed/02016 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 27: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on December 27, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Post Up: Grudge Matchhttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-salah-ariza-rockets-mavs-nba-recap/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-salah-ariza-rockets-mavs-nba-recap/#respondWed, 28 Dec 2016 06:23:01 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=421172

The Rockets and Mavericks had a war of words, the Jazz and Lakers went down to the wire, and more from Tuesday night.

James Harden posted a 34-point line, sinking 12 of 12 free throws, in Houston’s second straight W. While the game’s outcome never appeared in doubt, a verbal low-blow from Mavs center Salah Mejri left a sour taste within the Rockets’ locker room. According to Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Feigen, Mejri insulted Trevor Ariza’s wife and children during the game. Ariza, who was restrained by security guards after the game, was backed by his teammates.

James Harden after the Rockets routed the Mavs: “That other team was trippin’ tonight, just disrespectful, unprofessional, players and coaches. I don’t know what was their problem, but I think that got us going. They wanted to throw a little cheap shot and just woke us up a little bit and it was over from there.”

What we experienced today as a team. Was the upmost disrespect. And total disrespect to Us and the GAME OF BASKETBALL…Still got the W tho

How good is Isaiah Thomas? Per ESPN’s Chris Forsberg, Thomas is the NBA’s only player to score 20+ points in 16 consecutive games. Boston also received solid performances from Avery Bradley (23 points, seven boards) and Gerald Green, whose career has been rejuvenated after a disappointing 2015-16 season in Miami.

Thunder 106 (20-12), Heat 94 (10-22)

Russell Westbrook continued his elite play, dropping his 15th triple-double of the season in just three quarters.

Josh Richardson provided solid offense for the Heat – tallying 22 points with five boards and three dimes – but Miami otherwise had no answers for OKC. Enes Kanter scored 19 points off the bench, while the Thunder shot a cumulative 51.2 percent from the field.

Jazz 102 (19-13), Lakers 100 (12-23)

The Lakers have had a rough go of it, now dropping five of their last six in a competitive match-up against Gordon Hayward (31 points, nine boards) and the Jazz. Largely known as a sharp-shooter, Hayward showed off his hops toward the end of regulation.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-salah-ariza-rockets-mavs-nba-recap/feed/02016 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 27: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks passes the ball against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on December 27, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Post Up: Clutch on Christmashttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-christmas-hero/
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Golden State and Cleveland engaged in a memorable duel, Russ went off against Minnesota, and more.

Sunday’s 2015-16 Championship rematch lived up to its billing, as the Cavaliers and Warriors went down to the wire in Cleveland. A memorable duel between Kevin Durant and LeBron James took center stage, but it was Kyrie Irving who closed the show with a clutch turnaround jumper. Now 36 years old, Richard Jefferson raised eyebrows by dunking on Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

Lakers 111 (12-22), Clippers 102 (22-10)

The Clippers felt Chris Paul and Blake Griffin’s absence, losing to the Lakers for the first time since Oct. 29, 2013. Veterans Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick had 22 points apiece, while Luol Deng double-doubled for the Lakers. Now 2-3 in their last five, the Clippers will look to regroup against the Nuggets tomorrow.

https://youtu.be/PLm3_Do0ytg

Thunder 112 (19-12), Timberwolves 100 (9-21)

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins scored 26 and 23 points, respectively, but the T’Wolves came up short against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Russ went off for 31 points and 15 assists; his fifth time this season reaching at least 30 points with 15 dimes. Following the game, Tom Thibodeau gave full credit to Westbrook.

“He’s the MVP leader right now, so you’ve got to try and slow him down,” Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said of Westbrook. “He draws so much attention — you know we’ve got to watch out for him. We’ve just got to stay solid and keep our assignments. We broke down a little in the second half.”

Spurs 119 (25-6), Bulls 100 (14-16)

The Spurs and Bulls had a tough act to follow after Cleveland/Golden State, but LaMarcus Aldridge was up to the task. Aldridge dropped 33 points – 20 coming in the first quarter – en route to a lopsided win over Dwyane Wade (24 points, six dimes) and the Bulls. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 with 10 boards, and Dewayne Dedmon added nine points with six rebounds off the bench.

The Knicks erupted for an 11-2 run with under two minutes left in regulation, turning Sunday’s MSG showdown into a nail-biter. Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose combined for 59 points, but Isaiah Thomas (27 points) and the Celtics ultimately came away with the close W. Marcus Smart nailed the dagger, and delivered a parting jab to the Knicks after the game.

”They had the crowd behind them on a very special day and this team just did a really good job of making sure when they punched us we punched right back,” said Smart.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-christmas-hero/feed/02016 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors react to a play during the game on December 25, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)Post Up: Thank You TDhttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-thank-you-tim-duncan-spurs/
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John Wall wasn’t tasked with carrying Washington’s offense in this match-up, as Bradley Beal (41 points) and Markieff Morris (23 points, nine boards) lifted the Wizards to an upset victory. The Clippers enjoyed solid performances from their regulars- Chris Paul double-doubled and Blake Griffin scored 26- but Washington closed the game on a 22-8 run to wrap up the W.

The Kings have reached their nadir, getting handled by a league-worst Mavericks team. On the bright side, DeMarcus Cousins’ off-court antics haven’t affected his performance; scoring 33 points with six boards. The rest of his team, however, shot an abysmal 18-for-52 from the field, sealing their fate against Dorian Finney-Smith (team-high 17 points) and the Mavs.

Dave Joerger responded to The Bee's coverage of DeMarcus Cousins and his beef with Andy Furillo before today's game: pic.twitter.com/Ao6whLblzj

Goran Dragic (31 points) and Hassan Whiteside (23 points, 17 boards) did their thing, yet Miami continued their slide with a frustrating loss to the Celtics. Boston set the tone early on, emerging from the first quarter with a 37-19 lead. Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas had 20 and 23 points, respectively, while Al Horford contributed 17 points with eight rebounds. With Sunday’s W, Boston moves past Charlotte for third place overall in the Eastern Conference.

Bismack Biyombo managed 12 rebounds with three blocks against his former team, but it was otherwise all Toronto in Sunday’s 30-point drubbing. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 31 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry each double-doubled, and Pascal Siakam swatted four shots- including this gem:

76ers 108 (7-20), Nets 107 (7-19)

Joel Embiid’s career-high 33 points were the difference in Philly’s narrow victory over Brook Lopez (two dimes, one board shy of a triple-double) and the Nets. Ersan Ilyasova poured in 22 points off the bench, while Robert Covington scored 15. Jeremy Lin scored 16 in limited minutes, but bricked a potentially game-tying three in Brooklyn’s final possession.

Philadelphia’s crowded depth chart at the 5 continues to be a pressing issue. Jahlil Okafor received the start on Sunday, and went 0-for-10 from the field. It’s no secret that Nerlens Noel isn’t long for the team, as the former Kentucky Wildcat sat out all of Sunday’s game and continues to be mentioned in trade talks.

Utah bested Memphis in a low-scoring affair, improving to 7-1 over their last eight games. Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward scored 21 and 22 points, respectively, while Derrick Favors swatted four shots in 13 minutes of court time. Memphis, meanwhile, received a team-high 14 points from Mike Conley while shooting a cumulative 30.1% from the field…yikes. The Grizzlies will look to regroup against the Celtics on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies shot 28/93 (30.1%) from the field and 2/23 (8.7%) from three and were in the game until the final minute.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-thank-you-tim-duncan-spurs/feed/02016 NBAESAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 18: A painting of Tim Duncan is seen during halftime against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 18, 2016 at the AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)Dirk Nowitzki May Retire at the End of This Seasonhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-may-retire-end-season/
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]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/dirk-nowitzki-may-retire-end-season/feed/02016 Getty ImagesPHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 14: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks sits on the bench during the first half of the preseason NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 14, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Billion to Onehttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/satnam-singh-netflix-movie-interview/
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We talked to Satnam Singh about his inspirational new documentary on Netflix, which chronicles his stranger-than-fiction journey from India to an NBA Draft pick.

World No. 1 is the Ballo Ke village, district Barnala, in the heartland of the India’s north-western state of Punjab. Ballo Ke is not on the map. Its population of eight hundred people—mostly poor, disenfranchised farming families—live among paddy fields, separated from the rest of civilization by hours, which are traveled along a bumpy dirt path. Electricity came here late, and mobile phones rarely connect. Ask for a cup of chai and someone will milk a buffalo in front of you. It’s dusty all the time.

World No. 2 is the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, opened in 2012 as one of the swankiest multi-event facilities on the planet. It cost over a billion US dollars to construct. Its tenants include the Brooklyn Nets, an NBA franchise valued in the billions which plays under the electrical charge of flashing jumbotrons, on-court laser shows, and machine guns spewing T-shirts into the stands. Since 2013, it has hosted the NBA Draft in a room full of some of world’s richest CEOs, VPs, agents, and future basketball superstars.

These worlds are polar opposites of culture, economy, and lifestyle. And yet, through the course of one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports, one young man—Satnam Singh—lived through it all, marrying the dichotomy of the marginalized third-world with the highest stakes of the world’s richest basketball league, and journeying through it all while carrying the improbable hopes of a billion-strong country on his wide shoulders.

The summary, if this was a piece of fiction, sounds too improbable to be true. But truth is often stranger than fiction, and over the last decade, that story actually took place: Satnam, the son of a farmer from Ballo Ke village, used both nature (his size) and nurture (hard work) to make history when the Dallas Mavericks picked him in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Satnam’s entire life is the equivalent of Kevin Garnett screaming “Anything is Possible!” on infinite loop. Now, his journey’s been encapsulated in the feature-length documentary One in a Billion, directed by Roman Gackowski, and released worldwide on Netflix on December 6. OBB Pictures partnered with Media Weaver and RGTV to produce this project. For a year and a half of filming, Gackowski followed Satnam as he visited his tiny farming village in Punjab, India, finished his time at the IMG Basketball Academy, Florida, and got drafted into the NBA on that fateful night in New York City.

The film shows the wild extremes lives that Satnam leads, in his farm in the Ballo Ke, where he is gifted a goat upon his return and walks around paddy fields in basketball kicks, and later, in the IMG Basketball Academy, one of the world’s finest facilities for youth basketball development. We see him take jumpshots on basketball courts in Punjab and meet high-level NBA executives and coaches at draft combines in the US.

Also featured in the film are individuals who have played a role in the life of Satnam or in basketball at large over the years, including NBA India’s former Director of Operations Troy Justice, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, IMG Academy Basketball coach Dan Barto, former India national team coach and now-IMG Academy director of basketball Kenny Natt, basketball agent Travis King, Secretary General of Punjab Basketball Association Teja Singh Dhaliwal, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, VP of Kings’ basketball operations Vlade Divac, Satnam’s family, including his father Balbir, and many more. SLAM senior editor Abe Schwadron’s pre-draft interview with Satnam also makes a cameo. (And after closely following Satnam’s journey over the past seven years, I sat down for an interview that’s featured in the documentary, too.)

Satnam Singh is the true star here, though. Through old photographs, stories, footage, and the lead-up to draft day, the documentary paints the picture of a young man who stood up to the responsibility of shouldering a moment in history.

On the day of the film’s worldwide release on Netflix, I spoke to director/producer Roman Gackowski, producer Michael D. Ratner, President/CEO of OBB Pictures, and Satnam Singh himself to learn more about the story behind One in a Billion.

SLAM: What first attracted you to Satnam’s story and this project?

Gackowski: Michael and I had worked together in the past and were looking for a project to collaborate on. Michael wanted a different kind of storyline and this was the one that specially struck a chord. He brought it up to me; we both felt it was a deep human interest story, and it felt even greater once we started pursuing it. As a lifelong sports fan, it blew my mind that a country with the population of India had never produced an NBA player, especially when you look at the way the NBA has evolved over last 25-30 years with their international exposure. There was a curiosity as to why that was. The story was fascinating from the beginning and Satnam was an interesting character.

Ratner: I was working on an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary and I wanted more sports stories that are about character and are inspirational. I was talking to different agents, and Travis King, who had been following Satnam, mentioned him. I was fascinated by this potential underdog story. We knew the stakes were high, and we couldn’t predict the ending—if he would actually get drafted. There are 1.3 billion people in his country and nobody had made it before. The final moment when I wanted to do this was when I spoke to Troy Justice [formerly of NBA India] who knew Satnam personally and told me he was a special young man. Troy was absolutely right! There is a scene in the movie, before the draft, when Satnam says that he has only opened the lock to basketball in India, but the door is still closed. This story is still going on, the end of the story is not written yet.

SLAM: Satnam, how did you first react to the news that there are people interested in a documentary about you? Was it strange having a film crew follow you around as you went through some of the most important moments of your life?

Singh: The documentary crew came with me to India, I remember, and my Dad asked me, ‘Why are they doing this?’ I told my Dad that they wanna focus on where I’m from and let people know who I am. Then I told myself, ‘These people are spending a lot of money for you, if you don’t work hard and you don’t do anything, it won’t be good for you’. So, that’s why I knew I need to work hard. I needed to go open the lock. That became my goal, to not disappoint my family, the investment by IMG, by the film crew. I did everything that they needed. As I say in the film: right now, I’ve only opened the lock. I’m only in the D-League. I need to go further and open the door to the NBA.

SLAM: What were the most challenging aspects of filming this story?

Gackowski: Going to his village, for sure, it was a different environment. Thankfully, the producers had put us up with the right people for this project, so we had the support we needed. The thing that struck me most was to see the differences: Satnam was 14 when he left his home, his family, and went literally halfway around the world. When you see the world he grew up in, to see where he was then, and then to IMG Academy in Florida, it’s another world. That was a story that we tried to tell. There were difficulties working around language, but we had set ourselves up in a position to tell the story. Satnam is a really good, true human being, who was trying to do so much for not just himself but his family and his country. You kinda get invested in a guy like that. When we were going along with him, everybody on the crew felt so close to him and kept on asking about him. We were rooting for him and were so happy how it eventually turned out. I know Satnam felt so much stress and pressure before the draft. All of us felt the same way.

SLAM: Satnam, when you see your whole journey in this film, from your village to NBA, what does it make you think?

Singh: When I watched the movie, I realized how much nicer the court is now back in Punjab! It wasn’t so nice when I started playing basketball there! I came to the USA in 2010. When I came here I said ‘Damn! If only we had the same opportunity in India!’ I was lucky I got a great opportunity and had coaches to help me here. I know my body changed, I learned a new language, changed the way I talked to people. But I don’t like to change my attitude of where I’m from. My background is important to me. You should never forget where you come from. Even if I have a million, billion dollars: money and the new people you meet matter less. The most important thing in my life is to understand where my family is, to understand how much I had when I first came here, and why I came here. I came here to play ball, make a name for myself, make history for India. That’s why I have only one focus.

SLAM: What do you hope that viewers take from One in a Billion?

Ratner: I hope that the viewer walks away feeling optimistic and engaged, and understand that they have watched a story that is still being written. This is a feel-good film. The climactic scene honestly tugged at my heart. When you watch it, you see the math the agents are doing for him to be drafted and you feel the pressure, too. Yes, the movie wouldn’t have been a failure if he hadn’t been drafted, but to be picked, it made it matter so much more. There’s something unbelievable there, the feat of him being drafted, shaking the deputy commissioner’s hand. This was a true Cinderella Story, a risk for this young man who worked hard, flew across the world away from his country, and made history. The commissioner [Adam Silver] said that Satnam could really open the door for NBA in India. Now the goal is for him to be on the NBA court. To play in his first NBA game.

SLAM: What did you learn about Satnam by getting to know him and interviewing the people close to him?

Gackowski: I come away with the understanding that he is an incredibly brave, dedicated, and pure individual. It was a big deal for him to come to the USA because there were people from his village, his family, his coaches, who had a lot of expectations. They didn’t quite understand what the journey would be for him. Satnam was still young when he first went out. There were a lot of expectations but he said to himself, ‘No matter what, I’ll take this on my shoulders. I’ll do this’.

He came to the USA and didn’t know the language. He was trapped and he fought through it. He took the risk. There’s some powerful moments in the films as he spent years learning the language, feeling lost, trapped, while he was working hard to be able to understand be productive on court and in the classroom. There was a scene when a coach talked to him and he understood, and it was a breakthrough moment! You could feel that it someone in his life had just turned the lights on!

He tells you to take a risk, to be brave. He did everything he could possibly could to get to this level. Troy Justice said in the documentary that Satnam is the kind of player who would run through the wall for you, and he literally will. If he hadn’t accomplished this, it wouldn’t have been for a lack of trying. That’s what we see in the film: he’ll do it and do it the right way. And he doesn’t just do it for himself. It’s for everyone involved, for his parents and coaches in India and the USA.

SLAM: Satnam, the movie is over, but your basketball career goes on. You’ve already made history. If there was a sequel to the story, and you could write it, what would you like to see.

Singh: Having them [the documentary crew] around motivated me more, it gave me more help to have a strong mind and work hard. Maybe I’ll have one more documentary again. The same movie or a different kind—about what I can achieve in my next step!

You can find One in a Billion on Netflix. Karan Madhok is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @Hoopistani. Images via OBB Productions.

Russ is putting up averages of 31.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists for the 15-9 OKC Thunder.

Per ESPN:

“He’s putting up superstar numbers. That’s for damn sure,” Cuban said of Westbrook as the Thunder took on the Houston Rockets on Friday night. “I’m not taking anything away from what he’s been able to accomplish, but I’m not going to change my definition. He’s putting up superstar numbers. You can’t deny that.”

Cuban said in April, about an hour before Westbrook’s 36-point, 12-rebound, nine-assist performance in Game 5 of the first round to eliminate the Mavs, that a true superstar can carry a mediocre roster to 50 wins and a postseason series win. He noted that the Thunder failed to make the playoffs in 2014-15, when Kevin Durant missed most of the season because of a foot injury.

“That’s no disrespect to Russell,” Cuban said. “He’s been a beast. Few have done what he’s done, but I’ll stick by my definition. I’m not saying that he’s not going to prove me wrong and that he [won’t be] a superstar by the end of the year. That’s fine, but I’ll stick by my definition.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-russell-westbrook-still-not-superstar/feed/02016 Getty ImagesATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 05: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder calls out to his teammates against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 5, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)DeMarcus Cousins ‘Flattered’ By the Mavs’ Rumored Interesthttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/demarcus-cousins-flattered-mavs-rumored-interest/
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DeMarcus Cousins said that he's "flattered" by the Mavericks' rumored interest in his services.

He coyly fielded a question from The Dallas Morning News about the Mavericks’ rumored interest in acquiring him by saying, “I’m flattered” and of the Mavericks, “I respect them.”

Their best hope is that the Kings hold on to Cousins through the end of this season. Or until the end of 2018, when he becomes a free agent. […] Either way, expect the Mavericks to be near the front of the line at the first whiff that Sacramento might be willing to deal Cousins. By the way, Cousins has long expressed that he likes playing in Sacramento.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/demarcus-cousins-flattered-mavs-rumored-interest/feed/02016 Getty ImagesDALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 07: DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Sacramento Kings takes on the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on December 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Jason Kidd: Giannis Could Be a Combination of LeBron and Dirkhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/jason-kidd-giannis-combination-lebron-dirk/
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Jason Kidd is very excited about what the future holds for the Greek Freak.

“Having being around some of the best in the world in LeBron (James) and Dirk (Nowitzki),” Kidd said referencing former Team USA and Dallas Mavericks teammates, “wouldn’t it be cool to have those two combined as one player? Maybe that could happen.”

When he started to get interested in the game as a teenager after his older brother, Knicks prospect Thanasis, started playing, Antetokounmpo found himself drawn to YouTube highlights of Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen and Allen Iverson. The way he passes, defends and plays with passion, you can see bits of all of them.

“I want to make great plays. It can be blocking a shot, it can be passing to an open teammate or dunking. Just great plays,” he said. “That’s what makes me excited.”

The Suns kept the game to a nine-point deficit entering halftime, but the wheels fell off in the third quarter; getting outscored 42-27 en route to an easy W for the Warriors. Golden State has now gone 106 regular season games without losing two in a row, boasting 20-plus point performances from Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry. While the team struggled as a whole (committing 14 turnovers, getting in foul trouble), Eric Bledsoe and

In midst of an impressive night off the bench (11 points in 12:42 of court time), JaVale McGee submitted a classic #Shaqtin moment…much to the delight of his teammates.

We’re not exactly breaking news here, but it’s worth stating: Giannis Antetokounmpo is really good. The Greek Freak is averaging 25 points, nine boards, 7.6 dimes, 3.2 steals, and two blocks over his last five games. In addition to Antetokounmpo’s handiwork, the Bucks received 15-plus point performances from Jabari Parker, Matthew Dellavedova, and John Henson to seal the W.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including a cold-blooded trey to send the game to OT. Minnesota’s gotten off to a rough start under Tom Thibodeau, but wins like these are a sign that things are trending in the right direction. Karl-Anthony Towns double-doubled, and delivered this powerful jam in transition.

Yeesh…the Hawks are going to want to forget about this one. Dwight Howard double-doubled, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 off the bench, but there aren’t many positives to take away from a 44-point blowout on the road. The Raptors outscored Atlanta 42-to-14 in the fourth quarter (!), shooting a combined 57.6 percent from the field. If the Hawks’ level of play keeps up, coach Mike Budenholzer might find himself on the hot seat.

Over the past 10 games, the Hawks have been outscored by 14.9 points per 100.

A battle between two shorthanded teams wound up being one of the most entertaining of the night. A veteran of four NBA teams, Troy Daniels hit his stride tonight with a career-high 31 points. The Lakers, meanwhile, enjoyed a 40-point showing from Lou Williams, who was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe. Check the highlights from Lou and Troy here:

Another example of the NBA’s sheer unpredictability: Dallas trounced the Bulls behind a 26-point showing from Wesley Matthews. Entering the game without Dwyane Wade or Doug McDermott, the Bulls’ offense was spearheaded by Jimmy Butler (26 points, nine rebounds). It’s tough to succeed, however, when three members of the starting five have a -22 Plus Minus or worse.

Mavs 57, Bulls 45 at half. Rajon Rondo (2 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist) is making the kind of impact he often did during his Dallas stint.

Gordon Hayward’s 32 points were the difference in Utah’s victory Saturday, besting Will Barton, Wilson Chandler (2o points apiece) and the Nuggets. After a sloppy 105-91 loss to Denver on Nov. 20, the Jazz have defeated their Northwest Division rivals twice (earning a 108-83 over Denver on Nov. 23).

Gordon Hayward scored 30 for the third straight game. Had 30 in 3 games last year. He is a different player.

Neither Damian Lillard nor C.J. McCollum were spectacular, but the Trail Blazers prevailed to earn their third win in their last four games. Allen Crabbe was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and Mo Harkless added 17 for Portland. Hassan Whiteside compiled an impressive double-double, but it’ll be difficult for Miami to compete with Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and Derrick Williams all sidelined.

“Suspend him, demote him, make him ref a game in the D-League,” Cuban said during his pregame workout Wednesday night.

“That call? At the beginning of the game? Right in front of him?” Cuban said. “That wasn’t an error in judgment. Refs are going to miss things because there’s other things going on, but there was nothing else going on. It was the first or second play of the game, and he was standing right there.”

Why would Cuban care so much about a missed call in the first minute of a Nets-Clippers game? […] “Because the quality of officiating matters in this game, you know?” Cuban said. “Standings are impacted. Mistakes happen. Lots of calls are hard, but not all of them. Some of them are just lack of focus and attention, and that’s the one thing you should be able to avoid at all times, particularly from such an experienced ref.”

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/nba/mark-cuban-wants-ref-punished-missing-blantant-traveling-violation/feed/02016 Getty ImagesOAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 27: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the crowd at their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on January 27, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Mark Cuban Says the Mavericks Will Not Tank This Seasonhttps://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-says-mavericks-will-not-tank-season/
https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-says-mavericks-will-not-tank-season/#respondMon, 28 Nov 2016 20:29:47 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=418152

The Dallas Mavericks currently sit at an NBA worst 3-13 after last night’s win over the Pelicans, but owner Mark Cuban isn’t hitting the panic button just yet. Talking with reporters before last night’s contest, Cuban argued that it’s important to always compete and play hard so you don’t develop bad habits down the line.

“Haters gonna hate. We think that you always compete,” Cuban said after finishing his pregame StairMaster routine Sunday night. “If you’re competing when the league is better, like it is this year, if you don’t do well, you’ll be in a position to get a good pick. Which, remember, even if you have the worst record in the NBA, there’s a 75 percent chance you’re not going to get the top pick.

“There are so many teams that became four years away from four years away because guys just learned how to lose,” Cuban said. “They stopped caring about any individual game and just got used to it, and you don’t want guys developing those bad habits. We have so many young guys on this team, we want the games to mean something. Not to be, ‘OK, who are we going to pull in the fourth quarter so we can lose this game?’ That’s not how teams develop good habits.”

Cuban also said that he doesn’t see a superstar player on the level of Shaq, LeBron or Tim Duncan in the 2017 Draft class:

“The only way you overcome that is to have the ultimate superstar carry you through, and it’s tough to draft the ultimate superstar. I don’t see any Shaqs or LeBrons or Tim Duncans in this draft, so I don’t think that’s the right way to do it. You just ignore the haters, let them bitch, and go about your business.”

Dallas has been banged up all season with JJ Barea, Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams all missing extended time. Despite the terrible record, Dallas is five games out of the eighth seed in the West but their schedule does them no favors as the Mavs are set to take on the Spurs, Hornets and Bulls in their next three games.

]]>https://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/mark-cuban-says-mavericks-will-not-tank-season/feed/02016 Getty ImagesOAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 27: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the crowd at their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on January 27, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Post Up: One Possession Gamehttps://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-one-possession-game/
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-one-possession-game/#respondSun, 20 Nov 2016 07:30:05 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=417384

Milwaukee and Golden State battled it out to the finish, Anthony Davis was on fire in NOLA's OT win, plus more from Saturday.

The Bucks and Warriors engaged in an intriguing grudge match Saturday night; the first team to defeat Golden State in 2015-16, Milwaukee played with a purpose against the defending Western Conference champions. As if the intense on-court action wasn’t enough, the Bradley Center’s Bandwagon Cam rubbed salt in the wound.

Despite a combined 58 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, Kevin Durant (33 points) and the Warriors pulled out the late W. After Milwaukee committed a crucial turnover late in the fourth quarter, TV cameras caught this despondent look from Michael Beasley.

The Bulls led 33-23 after the first quarter, but would unravel late after Marreese Speights tallied 11 fourth quarter points. Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg- who made a questionable call to play Bobby Portis over Robin Lopez in the fourth quarter- drew his first career ejection with 8.9 seconds left in regulation.

https://twitter.com/_MarcusD2_/status/800218420059013120

Rockets 111 (8-5), Jazz 102 (7-7)

The Jazz received 20+ point performances from Rodney Hood and Trey Lyles, but fell to a .500 mark on the season against James Harden (31 points) and the Rockets. Utah will aim to keep afloat despite Derrick Favors and George Hill’s absence. Houston’s offense revolves around Harden, but a career-high 20 points from Clint Capela was a nice boost to Saturday’s W.

Pelicans 121 (4-10), Hornets 116 (8-4)

The Pelicans appear to be a dramatically improved team with Jrue Holiday back in the fold. Holiday, Anthony Davis and the Pels have now won three of their last four; all three coming against teams with winning records. Aside from AD’s banner performance, New Orleans received 23 points from Langston Galloway and a 17/8/5 line from Tim Frazier.

In a battle of underachieving teams, Miami came out on top behind a monstrous double-double from Hassan Whiteside (18 points, 18 boards) and 22 points from Goran Dragic. Washington’s stellar performance from John Wall and Bradley Beal (34 points each) hasn’t translated to a winning formula.

On if #Wizards are on same page defensivelyJohn Wall: "Yeah, I think we are"Bradley Beal: "We're not on the same page defensively at all"

With Philadelphia’s victory on Saturday, the Mavericks now own the worst record in the NBA. D.J. Augustin scored a team-high 18 points, while Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic each grabbed 10+ boards.

On a team without much else to root for, Jonathan Gibson has been a terrific story. A 29-year-old journeyman, Gibson scored a career-high 26 points in just his second NBA game against Orlando.

In his first game back from an extended absence, Al Horford was the difference in Boston’s narrow win over Marcus Morris (24 points) and the Pistons. In a one possession game, Horford put back a Jae Crowder jumper to put Boston up for good. With Horford and Crowder each back from injury, Brad Stevens’ squad has returned to form.

https://twitter.com/Isaiah_Thomas/status/800181191433285632

76ers 120 (3-10), Suns 105 (4-10)

Despite a minutes restriction entering Saturday’s game, Joel Embiid went off for a career-high 26 points, leading Philly’s offense alongside Nik Stauskas (21 points off the bench). Eric Bledsoe poured in a game-high 27 points, but Devin Booker’s 4-of-13 shooting made it hard for Phoenix to compete in this one.

Grizzlies 93 (8-5), Timberwolves 71 (4-8)

Despite the presence of Tom Thibodeau and elite play of Karl-Anthony Towns, it hasn’t quite clicked yet in Minnesota. The T’Wolves shot just 39.1% from the field against Memphis, managing just 13 third quarter points. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have now held their opponents to 71 or fewer points in each of their last two games. JaMychal Green and Zach Randolph had 19 and 18 points, respectively, to put this one away for the Grizzlies.

The @memgrizz have won four straight games for the first time since a five-game winning streak from 1/25/16-2/5/16.